Brewers Association - Beer and Food Course PDF

February 2016
CraftBeer.com/Culinary
To order copies of this course visit: CraftBeer.com/PrintedCourse
INTRODUCTION
About the CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course Why this course on craft beer?
This groundbreaking course was designed by award-winning Craft beer and cuisine have long been paired together, and in
chef and Culinary Institute of America graduate Adam Dulye and the last decade, that relationship has grown even closer. Both
Certified Cicerone® and Beer Judge Julia Herz. The course can the craft beer scene and the culinary industry are experiencing
be integrated into any culinary curriculum or beer class and fully a historic period of growth and recognition in local and national
covers the topic of craft beer, and includes: communities. With fine dining restaurants stocking vintage beers
alongside wine in their cellars and offering draught and bottle lists
• Lectures and readings that be integrated into existing ac- that go on for pages, craft beer is finally entering the mainstream
credited lab time in a kitchen; of the culinary world.
• Two tasting sessions covering 10 popular beer styles and This curriculum will guide students through the relationship
pairing; between craft beer and food, helping them create harmonious
combinations on the plate, in the dining room, and ultimately on
• Lab time to practice pairing craft beer and cuisine includ-
the palates and in the memories of their guests.
ing suggestions for successful pairings and recipes;
No curriculum can capture the entirety of the vast and ever-
• A draft of the final written exam*, to be administered
changing landscape of beer made by small and independent craft
alongside a practical exam that consists of cooking to a
brewers. Learning to expertly pair craft beer and cuisine is a skill
paired beer and pairing a beer to a prepared dish.
that takes years to develop. By stripping the topic of craft beer
* The final exam is only available by request and is provided and cuisine down to the most basic of beginnings, we can build a
by the Brewers Association (publishers of CraftBeer.com) to strong foundation from which experimentation and expertise can
accredited instructors and dedicated educators only. be pursued in years to come.
COURSE SCHEDULE
SECTION ONE SECTION TWO SECTION THREE SECTION FOUR EXAMS
History of Beer Who Classifies Beer Identifying Beyond Craft Beer & Cheese Written Exam
Styles Beer Flavor Profiles
The Rise of Craft Identifying Flavor Intro to Styles: Interactive Tasting & Pairing Exam
Brewers Profiles of Beer Tasting #2 Pairing
Homebrewing & Craft How to Present & How to Pair Craft Fresh, Aged &
Brewing Pour Beer Beer with Food Cellared Craft Beer
Brewing Process Intro to Styles: Designing a Beer
Tasting #1 Dinner
Ingredients in Beer
Overview of Beer
Styles
CRAFTBEER.COM BEER & FOOD COURSE 1

SECTION ONE

SECTION 1: HISTORY OF BEER
From ancient times through the depths of Prohibition and into the 21st century, beer’s evolution has been shaped by the same forces that
dominate human history: religion, politics, and economic and social factors.
Beer most likely first came about by accident. 1750

The Industrial Revolution begins around 1750 and has a major impact
Twelve thousand years ago, in an area known as the Fertile
on the brewing industry in England. Thermometers, hydrometers
Crescent (in the Middle East near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers),
and steam power are introduced to the porter breweries of the time.
Neolithic people grew barley for nutrition. The grain was ground
into gruel, and people began to experiment with adding other European immigration to America expands to include greater
ingredients, such as bittering herbs. At some point, possibly numbers of immigrants from countries other than England.
on many independent occasions, some of that gruel became German immigrants bring their lager recipes and lagers quickly
colonized with wild yeast and fermented, creating the beverage become the most popular styles of beer in America.
that would eventually become beer.
Gruel was a staple of basic nutrition in civilizations throughout 1873

the ancient world as grains, agriculture, and brewing techniques America has 4,131 breweries, the most in its history. Refrigeration and
spread through Europe and humans became less nomadic. refined marketing strategies breed the first national breweries, but
Particular grains were better suited to certain climates, and the many smaller breweries continue to be successful in local markets.
fermented beverages of each region would take on the flavors
of locally available ingredients. In this way, local styles of beer 1920-1933
eventually began to develop. Prohibition, in the form of the 18th Amendment, outlaws the sale
of alcohol in the United States. Most breweries close entirely, but
In addition to geography and climate, beer’s evolution has been some transition into making other types of products.
shaped by the same forces that dominate human history: religion,
politics, and economic and social factors. Key dates to remember:
• January 16, 1919: The 18th Amendment is ratified and

1800 BC goes into effect a year later on January 16, 1920, marking
The “Hymn to Ninkasi,” the Sumerian goddess of beer, is
the start of Prohibition. A separate law, the Volstead
inscribed on a tablet about 4,000 years after humans first leave
Act, goes into effect in October 1919 to set criteria for
evidence of brewing activity. It has been said that this hymn is the
enforcing the ban on alcohol.
oldest known recipe.
• March 23, 1933: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs
1350 legislation permitting the sale of 3.2 percent ABV beer,
Beer is seen as a source of basic nutrition throughout Europe in partially fulfilling his campaign promise to end the national
the Middle Ages. Monks brew in order to support the church, ban on alcohol. He had spurred Congress to modify the
which plays a major role in monopolizing herbs for brewing Volstead Act in advance of Prohibition’s ratification.
“gruit.” Around 1350, hops replace other herbs used in making
beer, which weakens the church’s grip on the beverage. • April 7, 1933: Roosevelt himself receives newly legalized
beer at the White House to toast the beginning of the end
Top-fermenting ale yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), along with for Prohibition. In the 24 hours that follows, more than 1.5
microorganisms, is the dominant method of fermentation during million gallons of beer flows as Americans celebrate.
this period. Meanwhile in Germany, the cooler climate leads to
the evolution of the bottom-fermenting lager yeast strain. • December 5, 1933: The 21st Amendment repeals the
18th Amendment. Prohibition ends, and only about half
1516 of the 1,568 breweries in America re-open. Most close
The Reinheitsgebot Beer Purity Act is established in Bavaria. The shortly thereafter.
original “purity law” permits beer to be made only with barley,
hops and water, later acknowledging yeast and permitting wheat 1976
in ale-based beers. A revised form of the law still exists today. Five companies are responsible for 90 percent of all beer
produced in the U.S.
1525
Flemish immigrants introduce beers brewed with hops to England. 1978
There are less than 100 brewing facilities in existence in the U.S.
1979 and beyond

See “The Rise of Craft Brewers,” page 5.
Some information in this section was paraphrased from Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher. See endnotes, p. 72.
4 CRAFTBEER.COM BEER & FOOD COURSE

SECTION 1: THE RISE OF
CRAFT BREWERS
In less than 40 years, America’s craft brewing industry has grown from fewer than 100 craft breweries in 1978 to more than 4,000 in 2015.
As a nation, the U.S. has more beer styles and brands to choose from than any other beer market in the world.
Beer is deeply rooted in this country’s framework. This beverage The Pioneers of Craft Beer
contributes 1.5 percent of our gross domestic product and In the 1970s, Fritz Maytag resurrected Anchor Brewing Company
historically has been enjoyed by both presidents and pilgrims and Jack McAuliffe started New Albion Brewing Company, both
alike. In 2014, the entire U.S. beer category reached $101.5 billion in California.
in sales, with small and independent craft brewers contributing
$19.6 billion of that total. Comparing these numbers to wine ($36 Meanwhile, in the east, heritage brewers like F.X. Matt/Saranac in
billion) and spirits ($65 billion), it’s fair to say the U.S. is first and New York, August Schell in Minnesota, Spoetzl Brewery in Texas,
foremost a beer-loving nation. Yuengling in Pennsylvania and many others were also making
waves of beer foam. Soon the movement spread, first like a slow-
Yet the American beer scene has not always enjoyed the strength moving brush fire and then like a blazing burn.
and diversity that we know today. From the end of Prohibition
through the 1970s, the U.S. was mostly known for American
Lager. Though light and refreshing, some unfortunately viewed
these beers as nearly identical commodities, simply made by
different producers.
Fast forward to today: Now the U.S. is the number-one beer

destination on the planet, with 99 percent of the 4,000+ breweries
being small and independent. We now have more than 130 U.S.
beer styles, from American India Pale Ales to barrel-aged sours,
and more than 75 percent of adults of legal drinking age live
within 10 miles of a brewery. Jack McAuliffe (left) and Fritz Maytag (right)

Homebrewing Emerges as one of life’s special pleasures. Each glass displays the creativity
Homebrewers, microbreweries and brewpubs are truly at the heart
and passion of its maker and the complexity of its ingredients.
of the rise, once again, of local beer in the U.S. The homebrewing
How could we pin that down with a precise definition?
hobby began to thrive because the main way a person could
experience the beer traditions and styles of other countries was to However, CraftBeer.com’s parent organization, the Brewers
make the beer themselves. These homebrewing roots gave birth Association, does define what it means to be a craft brewer. This
to what we now call “craft brewing.” Since 1979, it has been legal definition allows the Brewers Association, which represents the
to homebrew up to 200 gallons of beer per family household. This majority of the U.S. beer community, to provide statistics on the
one law has helped an entire community grow and thrive. growing craft brewery segment.
A U.S. craft brewer is:
• Small - Producing less than six million barrels of beer a year.
• Independently owned - Less than 25 percent of the craft

brewery is owned or controlled by an alcoholic beverage
industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.
• Traditional - A majority of its total beverage alcohol volume

is beer, with flavors derived from traditional or innovative
brewing ingredients and their fermentation. (Flavored malt
beverages [FMBs] are not considered beers.)
Microbrewing Era Visit CraftBeer.com for more details and the full definition of
Momentum began to pick up for the microbrewing phenomenon a craft brewer (CraftBeer.com/Definition), or visit the Brewers
in the early 1990s. Soon the U.S. landscape was dotted with Association for details on the craft beer market sectors: brewpubs,
taprooms and brewpubs where beer lovers could sample a wide microbreweries and regional craft breweries (BrewersAssociation.org/
selection of local, flavorful beer while interacting directly with Statistics/National).
the brewers.
Craft Brewers Today
Craft brewing growth slowed to between one and five percent Today’s craft brewers have succeeded in establishing high levels
annually between 1997 and 2003, but from 2007 to 2014 it saw of quality, consistency and innovation, expanding the minds and
10.9 percent growth each year, on average. The numbers reflect palates of beer lovers, and creating the most diverse brewing
a more advanced U.S. beer culture, as beer drinkers increasingly culture in the world. With the number of breweries and beer
connect with craft brewers. brands available today, it’s clear that craft brewers and craft beer
lovers are participants in an American beer renaissance.
As the brewing landscape continues to evolve, so do Americans’

tastes in beer. Nielsen research confirms that beer drinkers are
shifting to more robust styles, and we know from market research firm
IRI Group that India Pale Ale is the top-selling craft beer category in
U.S. supermarkets, followed by seasonally released beers.
One sign of the changing times came in 2002 when American-

Style India Pale Ale surpassed American-Style Pale Ale as the
most-entered beer style at the annual Great American Beer
Festival®. It has remained the most-entered category since.
Credit Where It’s Brewed

The large multinational brewing companies deserve much
What Is Craft Beer & What Is a Craft Brewer? credit for establishing beer as the most popular fermented
In terms of the question, “What is craft beer?” a definition is beverage in the U.S.—no small feat. Large global brewers have
difficult. Craft beer means many different things to many different high standards in terms of quality and consistency. In addition,
beer lovers. today’s small and independent brewers put U.S. craft beer on
the map and continue to fuel it. These little businesses are
Craft beer has been described variously as: “10 minutes of thriving against all odds, innovating and expanding Old World
pleasure;” “Pure happiness in a glass;” “An intellectual beverage beer styles with New World twists.
that is to be savored, not swilled;” and many other flowery phrases.
It is enjoyed during everyday celebrations and is viewed by many Simply put: It is a great time to be a beer lover in the U.S.

Top U.S. Craft Brewing Companies
(Based on 2014 beer sales volume)
Rank Brewing Company City State

1 D. G. Yuengling and Son, Inc Pottsville PA
2 Boston Beer Co Boston MA
3 Sierra Nevada Brewing Co Chico CA
4 New Belgium Brewing Co Fort Collins CO
5 Gambrinus Shiner TX
6 Lagunitas Brewing Co Petaluma CA
7 Deschutes Brewery Bend OR
8 Bell’s Brewery, Inc Comstock MI
9 Stone Brewing Co Escondido CA
10 Minhas Craft Brewery Monroe WI
11 Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn NY
12 Duvel Moortgat USA Kansas City & Cooperstown MO/ NY
13 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Milton DE
14 Matt Brewing Co Utica NY
15 Harpoon Brewery Boston MA
16 Firestone Walker Brewing Co Paso Robles CA
17 Founders Brewing Co Grand Rapids MI
18 SweetWater Brewing Co Atlanta GA
19 New Glarus Brewing Co New Glarus WI
20 Alaskan Brewing Co Juneau AK
21 Abita Brewing Co Abita Springs LA
22 Anchor Brewing Co San Francisco CA
23 Great Lakes Brewing Co Cleveland OH
24 Oskar Blues Brewery Longmont CO
25 Shipyard Brewing Co Portland ME
Visit CraftBeer.com for a full list of U.S. breweries, sortable by state. Source: Brewers Association

SECTION 1: HOMEBREWING &
CRAFT BREWING
Homebrewing is an extremely popular hobby—an estimated 1.2 million Americans brew beer at home. These hobbyists are helping to
fuel the growth of the craft beer industry, both by supporting their local breweries and even opening breweries themselves. Learn about
the American Homebrewers Association and the National Homebrew Competition, the largest beer competition in the world.
Since 1979, it has been federally legal to homebrew up to 200 Who are homebrewers?
U.S. gallons of beer a year, per family household in the U.S. Today Based on surveys of American Homebrewers Association
more than 1.2 million people brew their own beer at home. More members and non-members, homebrewers come from a diverse
than 800 homebrew shops and 1,700 homebrew clubs in the U.S. array of backgrounds. However, a majority:
A main advocate and authority for homebrewing is the American • have technical or professional occupations;
Homebrewers Association (part of the Brewers Association).
The AHA website (HomebrewersAssociation.org) has a broad • are well educated, with the vast majority holding college
selection of information on how to homebrew and on events in degrees;
the homebrew community.
• fall into a middle- to upper middle-class income range;
The primary difference between homebrewers and commercial
brewers is that commercial brewers sell their beer. To do that, they • are married;
must comply with regulations put forth by the federal government
and each individual state, including licensing requirements. • have a creative, do-it-yourself approach to brewing, which
Homebrewers do not need to apply for any license. As long as a helps encourage creativity in the broader beer community.
U.S. resident is 21 years of age and only making beer (not selling
it), they may brew.

SECTION 1: BREWING PROCESS
Let’s take a look at each of the steps in the brewing process and the chemical reactions that take place to eventually produce a batch of
beer. From creating the mash to carbonation, each step is outlined and explained.
People sometimes refer to beer as “liquid bread” because of the -- Mash temperatures of 142-149°F drive the beta
similarity of ingredients. Bread is made from water, grain (usually amylase enzymes to create a less dextrinous wort
wheat), yeast and salt; while beer is made from water, grain with more fermentable sugars.
(usually barley but sometimes wheat, rye and other grains), yeast
and hops. And just like in baking, temperature and timing matter -- Mash temperatures of 149-158°F drive the alpha
throughout the brewing process. amylase enzymes to create a more dextrinous wort
with fewer fermentable sugars, which lends a bigger
1. Mash body to the finished beer.
Mashing is the steeping of crushed grains
Note that introducing temperatures above 160°F at this stage can
in a specific amount of water, for a specific
cause harsh tannins/polyphenols to be leached from the husks of
amount of time, at a specific temperature. On
the malted and crushed barley, so this is avoided.
the biochemical level, the heat of the water
activates enzymes to convert the starches in the Infusion Mash
grains to fermentable sugars that the yeast will Mash Tun In this type of mash, crushed grains are added to water heated
later consume and process into carbon dioxide at one specific temperature within the range of a saccharification
(CO2) and alcohol. When the starch-to-sugar rest. The target mash temperature is then held for the entire
conversion is complete, the liquid is separated period of the mash. This mash is most common when highly
from the grains, a process known as lautering, and collected in the modified malts are used, and low-protein malts are the dominant
boil kettle. (HomebrewersAssociation.org/How-To-Batch-Sparge) part of the grist (crushed grain).
Mashing can take anywhere from 60 minutes to several hours. A 2. Lautering
variety of mashing techniques and temperature rests (letting the Lautering is the method of separating the
wort sit for a time in a particular temperature range) are often sweet wort (water with dissolved sugars
employed depending on the beer style and the type of grain used. extracted from grain) from the mash. A
lauter tun consists of a large vessel to hold
Step Mash
the mash and a false bottom or manifold to
Specific temperatures have various advantages for extracting
and modifying the sugars, proteins and other components of the
allow the wort to drain out while leaving the Lauter Tun
grain behind. Lautering can be conducted in
grain. Holding the mash at certain temperatures, called steps or
several ways, but it usually consists of three
rests, allows brewers to activate different enzymes and to work
steps: mash-out, recirculation, and sparging.
with a variety of modified (converted) and under-modified malts.
The timing of lautering varies based on how slowly or quickly the
• Acid Rest: 90-120°F
mash is rinsed. This step is complete when the wort reaches the
-- Activates the phytase enzyme to acidify the mash, desired volume and pH.
creating a more acidic and less alkaline environment.
1. Mash-out is the term for raising the temperature of the
• Protein Rest: 122-131°F mash to 170°F prior to lautering. This step stops all of the
enzyme action (preserving the fermentable sugar profile)
-- Commonly performed in wheat beers to break and makes the grain and wort more fluid.
down long protein chains into smaller proteins and
amino acids. This also lessens potential chill haze, 2. Recirculation, also knows as the vorlauf step, occurs after
the cloudiness caused by residual proteins that are the grain bed has settled and is ready to be lautered. The
soluble at room temperature but clump together first few quarts of wort are drawn out through the drain of
when cold, thus creating a haze. the lauter tun and poured back in on top of the grain. This
helps settle the grain bed to ensure proper mash filtration
• Saccrification Rest: 140-158°F to achieve a target pH of 5.2-5.7 and clarity.
-- Final temperatures from this mash drive the diastatic 3. Sparging is the process of rinsing the grain bed that has
family of enzymes and affect body and residual sugar settled at the bottom of the lauter tun in order to extract
of the end product. the remaining sugars. The temperature of the sparge
water is carefully controlled so as not to also extract
-- Beta amylase and alpha amylase are the two major tannins from grain husks. (Palmer, 2006, p. 180-181. See
enzymes driven by this temperature rest. Endnotes p. 62.)

6. Fermentation
Fermentation begins when yeast or microorganisms
are introduced to the sweet, cooled wort.
Fermentation can last for several days, weeks or Fermentation
Tank
months depending on the brewer’s intentions.
Ales ferment faster and warmer than lagers,
which require a slow conditioning period. Ales
can ferment and mature as quickly as three
weeks. Lagers traditionally require more than
sixty days’ time.
Fermentation most commonly occurs in steel tanks or wood

barrels. Yeast needs oxygen to begin fermentation, so oxygen is
often added at the same time the yeast is pitched.
Primary fermentation is when the yeast is the most vigorous and

active. As yeast consumes the fermentable malt sugars, it begins
to settle to the bottom of the tank (a process called ‘flocculation’).
Secondary fermentation is when the initial yeast cake (dormant

yeast at the bottom of the fermentor) has been removed, and the
Demonstration Video: Brewing with Malted Grains beer continues to ferment at a slower pace. Beer also begins to
(goo.gl/4mqrde) clarify during this step.
3. Boil 7. Conditioning
There are multiple reasons to boil wort, though it’s not done for Conditioning occurs when the yeast has stopped fermenting the
all styles. Boiling: wort and has finished settling out to the bottom of the fermentor.
This is also the period when yeast byproducts such as diacetyl and
• Stops enzymatic activity (no more conversion of starches acetaldehyde are lessened or completely removed. Note that these
to sugars), known as ‘denaturing’ enzymes; byproducts are acceptable at lower levels in some beer styles.
• Blows off undesired volatile compounds including some 8. Carbonation
hop oils, sulfur compounds and dimethyl sulfide (DMS); Carbonation, or CO2, is a main ingredient in beer. It lends body or
weight on the tongue and stimulates the trigeminal nerves, which
• Encourages ‘hot break,’ which is a coagulation of proteins
sense temperature, texture and pain in the face. Carbonation can
and tannins that improves beer’s clarity and decreases
be detected as an aroma (carbonic acid). It also affects appearance
astringency;
and is what creates the collar of foam common to most beer styles.
• Concentrates wort through evaporation;
Carbonation is introduced into beer in a variety of ways:
• Converts hop alpha acids into isomerized hop alpha acids
Natural carbonation: As yeast eats sugars during fermentation, it
that provide bitterness to beer;
produces a variety of byproducts, including alcohol and CO2. This
• Kills off any microbes that may be in the wort, thus sterilizing carbonation can be captured and used to carbonate the finished beer.
it (note some microbes are favorable, but are commonly
Force carbonation: One method of force carbonation is via a
added post-boil as they cannot survive the heat).
device called a carbonation stone. This device injects CO2 from
a separate gas tank into beer that resides in a conditioning or
4. Whirlpool
serving vessel. It allows CO2 to dissolve into the beer.
Whirlpool happens after the boil and serves to collect hop
particulates and coagulated protein from the hot break. This often Bottle conditioning: Addition of yeast at packaging time. This
happens in a dedicated vessel, or can be done in the boil kettle. yeast, under the right conditions, will ferment residual sugars still
The beer is spun in a circular fashion, allowing particles (called left in the beer and then produce CO2 that disolves directly into
‘trub’) to collect together at the bottom center of the vessel. Then the beer in the bottle. Successful bottle conditioning requires
the wort is siphoned away, leaving the trub behind. residual sugars and yeast to still be present in the beer. It is a
common technique used by smaller brewers and homebrewers.
5. Chilling
The wort is chilled to prepare it for fermentation. Methods of Review of Brewing Process Steps:
chilling include immersion chillers, which are set inside the wort,
and heat exchangers that pass wort and cold water through a 1. Mash
parallel set of coils, thereby cooling the hot wort indirectly. Beer 2. Lautering
is commonly chilled down to yeast-pitching temperature, which 3. Boil
varies depending on yeast strain and the brewer’s intentions 4. Whirlpool
(usually 40-70°F). 5. Chilling
6. Fermentation
7. Conditioning
8. Carbonation

SECTION 1: INGREDIENTS IN BEER
In this section, we’ll take a detailed look at each of the ingredients necessary to brew beer. Different combinations of carbonation, hops,
malt and other fermentables, water, and yeast and microorganisms all play specific and important roles in creating the multitude of
different styles of beer common today.
Craft brewers use a wide variety of ingredients to achieve the

aroma, body, flavor and finish they desire in their beer. For some
styles, they have taken the traditional styles of beer from great
brewing countries like England, Germany and Belgium and added
their own twists by modifying the amount or type of ingredients or
the brewing process. There are now multiple beer styles uniquely
credited to the U.S., though many traditional beer styles continue
to be brewed both in their countries of origin and in the U.S.
Whole cone hops
The main ingredients in most beer styles are carbonation, hops,
malt and other fermentables, water, and yeast and microorganisms. 2. Hops
Bitterness ranges: Restrained, moderate, aggressive, harsh
Aroma and flavor ranges: Citrus, floral, fruity, green, herbal, onion/
garlic, pine, resinous, spicy, spruce, sweaty, tropical, woody
• Hops deliver both resins and essential oils that influence

beer’s aroma, flavor, bitterness, head retention,
astringency, and perceived sweetness. They also increase
beer’s stability and shelf life.
• Brewers today use well over 100 different varieties of hops

worldwide, with hops grown in the U.S. contributing an
estimated 30 percent of the global supply.
• Though there are many varieties of hop plants, the hops

used in beer generally fall into three categories: bittering,
aroma and dual-purpose. Bittering hops contain
more alpha acids and are used primarily to contribute
bitterness, while aroma hops are used primarily to add
flavor and aroma to beer. Dual-purpose hops can have
higher alpha acid content, but also are used to contribute
aroma compounds.
• Hop resins lend bitterness via alpha acids to balance the

sweetness of malt sugars. When alpha acids are isomerized
through boiling, ranges of bitterness can land anywhere
from two IBUs (International Bitterness Units) to more than
100 depending on the beer style and brewer’s intention.
• Alpha acid content of most hops ranges from 2 to 20

percent by weight.
1. Carbonation (CO2)
• Hops’ main essential oils influencing aroma and flavor are:
Visual: None, slow-, medium-, fast-rising bubbles
-- Humulene (common in noble hops)
Palate: Low, medium, high ·· Woody/piney notes
-- Myrcene (pungent; largest component of hop oil; can
• Beer’s carbonation comes from carbon dioxide gas, which help indicate ripeness of hop cone)
is a naturally occurring byproduct of fermentation. It can ·· Green resin aromatics
also be introduced into beer via force carbonation. -- Caryophyllene
·· Spicy pepper notes
• Nitrogen can also be added to beer, providing smaller -- Farnesene
bubbles and a softer mouthfeel compared to CO2. ·· Floral notes
-- These oils volatize off when exposed to heat, so
• Carbonation is measured in terms of volumes of CO2, which aroma and flavor hops are added at the end of the
range from 1-3+ v/v (volumes of dissolved gas per volume boil or during or after fermentation (a technique
of liquid) with 2.5-2.7 volumes being the most common. referred to as “dry hopping”).

• Note that many adjuct grains can be malted to create
unique flavors compared to their unmalted counterparts.
• Other Ingredients: Fruit, herbs, roasted (unmalted) barley

or wheat, spices, wood
5. Water
Beer is mostly water, which makes water quite an important
ingredient. It provides minerals and ions that add various qualities
to beer. Some brewers make their beer without altering the
Chocolate malt, Munich malt, Pilsner malt chemistry of their water sources. Many do modify the water to
make it most suitable to deliver the beer characteristics they hope
3. Malted Barley (Malt) to highlight.
Flavor ranges: Bread flour, grainy, biscuit, bready, toast, caramel,
pruny, roast, chocolate, coffee, smoky, acrid • Common minerals include: Carbonate, calcium,
magnesium, sulfate
• Malt is detected in the aroma, flavor and appearance of
a beer. • Common taste descriptors include: Chalk, flint, sulfur
• Malt has been called the soul of beer. It is the main pH, residual alkalinity, water hardness or softness and mineral
fermentable providing the sugars that yeast use to create content all come into play when brewing beer. Let’s take a look at
alcohol and carbonation. It is most often barley that has these factors.
been malted by putting it through a series of moisture
and temperature steps. pH
pH measures the concentration of ions in a liquid. The pH scale
• Malt is converted barley or other grains that have been
runs from 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline), with 7 as the neutral midpoint.
steeped, germinated, heated, kilned (or roasted in a
drum), cooled and dried, and then rested. • Acidic (0-6) has higher Hydrogen concentration
• Fresh barley has a moisture content commonly around • Alkaline (8-14) has higher Hydroxide concentration
13 percent. This is raised, often to more than 40 percent,
until the barley begins to germinate. During the malting Just like the Richter scale for earthquakes, pH is logarithmic. Every
process it is dried to less than four percent moisture. point on the pH scale is ten times greater or lesser in concentration
than the point above or below it. For example: pH 4 is 1,000 times
• A wide variety of barley and other malts are used to (103 or 10 x 10 x 10) more acidic than pH 7.
make beer, including: pale malts (pilsner and pale two-
row); higher-temperature kilned malt (Munich and
Vienna); roasted/specialty malt (chocolate and black); and
unmalted barley. Wheat malt is commonly used as well. UNDERSTANDING BEER’S ACIDITY
• Malt adds fermentable and non-fermentable sugars and
proteins that influence beer’s aroma, alcohol, aroma,
HELPS WITH PAIRING STRATEGY.
astringency, body, color, flavor and head retention.
SALT AND THE RICHNESS OF
FOODS ARE CALMED BY ACIDITY.
Common pH levels of some liquids:

2.4 Lemon juice
3-3.4 White wine
3.5 Orange juice
3.3-3.6 Red wine, sour beer styles
(post-fermentation)
4. Other Ingredients
4-4.5 Most beer styles (post-fermentation)
Adjuncts include anything that is not malted, but is a source of
5.2-5.7 Ideal pH for beer mash
fermentable sugars, flavor, color or other characteristics.
7 Tap water, human saliva
• Common adjuncts include: Candy sugar, honey, molasses,
refined sugar, treacle, maple syrup
Darker kilned and roasted malts decrease mash pH. Too alkaline
• Unmalted starchy adjuncts include: Oats, rye, wheat, a mash (above pH 5.7) lessens the chance for proper malt color
corn/maize, rice extraction. Ideal mash pH ensures:

• Ideal enzyme conditions for proper saccrification (the 6. Yeast and Microorganisms
conversion of malt starch into fermentable sugars, Yeast and other microorganisms eat sugars from malted barley
primarily maltose); and other fermentables, producing carbonation, alcohol and
aromatic compounds. The flavor imparted by yeast differs based
• No leaching of harsh tannins/polyphenols from malt husk; on yeast strain, temperature, time exposed to the beer, oxygen
and other variables.
• Proper “hot break,” which aids in coagulation of proteins
during the mash boil. Types of Yeast
Alkalinity • Lager: Saccharomyces pastorianus. Often lends sulfuric

Alkalinity determines the buffering capacity of water (the degree compounds. Commonly referred to as bottom-fermenting.
to which water will reduce the acidity of the beer). Calcium and Most often ferments at cooler temperatures (45-55°F).
magnesium affect hardness. Carbonates and bicarbonates affect
alkalinity. Together they affect mash pH. • Ale: Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Generally produces more
flavor compounds (esters). Commonly referred to as top-
To lower alkalinity, brewers: fermenting. Most often ferments at warmer temperatures
(60-70°F).
• Add dark malts to lessen pH to a more acidic environment;
• Weizen: Common to some German-Style Wheat beers.
• Use brewing salts;
• Brettanomyces: Considered a “wild” yeast. Lends flavors
• Add acidic compounds like lactic acid or acidulated malt like barnyard, tropical fruit and more.
(malt that has already been soured with lactic acid);
Types of Microorganisms (Bacteria)
• Do a sour mash (a particular mixture of grain and water
that encourages the development of bacteria that • Acetobacter: Bacteria that makes acetic acid, which gives
produces lactic acid, which is present in the husk of the vinegar its tart quality.
barley).
• Lactobacillus: Bacteria that produces lactic acid, which
Hardness gives yogurt and sourdough bread their sour qualities.
Hardness is the concentration of minerals in water. Water high
in calcium/magnesium and bicarbonate/sulfate is said to be • Pediococcus: Bacteria that produces lactic acid. Over
‘hard.’ Hard water is used in German-style Dunkels, German-style time, this can create diacetyl (an off-favor in beer that is
Marzen/Oktoberfest beers, Vienna-style Lagers, Irish-style Dry often described as buttered popcorn).
Stouts, Scottish-style Ales and English-Style Pale Ales/ESBs.
On the other end of the spectrum, water low in these ions is said
to be ‘soft.’ Soft water is used in Bohemian-style Pilseners.
The presence of calcium sulfate (gypsum) enhances bitterness,

but also can induce dryness and lend a low sulfitic character. This
effect has been called the ‘Burton snatch,’ originating from beers
made in Britain in the Burton-on-Trent area.
Ions
Ions in brewing water primarily affect pH and may add or
accentuate certain flavors.
CATIONS (positively charged) ANIONS (negatively charged)

Calcium is most important Bicarbonate is the most
ion for brewing important ion for alkalinity
• Lowers mash pH • Raises pH
Magnesium • Reacts with calcium Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Lowers mash pH to reduce hardness

during boil
Sodium (flavor ion) Chloride
• Increases mouthfeel
• Accentuates
bitterness and
dryness

DEMONSTRATION 7. Let the cans cool in the fridge for 24 hours so they reach
serving temperature (38°F).
To experience staling flavors in beer, try this demonstration. Be
sure to do the prep for this at least 24 hours in advance. 8. Pour students a sample of un-boiled beer.
1. Purchase a canned (not bottled) commercial version of 9. Pour students a sample of boiled beer.
a beer style that is intended to be enjoyed fresh. For
10. Sample side-by-side, and note differences.
example, a can of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
11. Discuss. At minimum, in the boiled version you should
2. Ensure any beer you purchase is stored cold and dark
notice diminished hop aromatics, less hop flavor, possibly
(away from sunlight) until ready for tasting.
softer carbonation and different malt flavors.
3. Make sure your beer is within the proper date range
Quantity
indicated by the brewer. For example, Sierra Nevada
Pale Ale should be less than 150 days past the date listed Ensure you will have enough for two ounces of boiled beer
on the package. and two ounces of fresh beer per person (four ounces total per
person).
4. Set aside half of the cans in the refrigerator. Boil the rest,
unopened for 20 minutes in an uncovered pot of boiling Supplies
water (make sure water covers the cans).
• Two glasses/tasting cups (odorless and tasteless) per
5. Let the pot sit until cool to the touch. person. Judging cups can be purchased from the Brewers
Association: BrewersAssociation.org/Store/Cups
6. Remove the cans from the water. Place them back in the
refrigerator. • Tasting Mat for notes: CraftBeer.com/TastingMat
Byproducts of Fermentation -- Syringol

Alcohol and CO2 are the main products of fermentation, but yeast ·· Smoky, campfire
and other microorganisms may produce many other byproducts -- Tannins/Polyphenols
that can add new flavors and aromas to the beer. These flavors ·· Velvet, astringent, sandpaper
will continue to change over time, especially for aged beers. For a
Staling Flavors
full list of fermentation byproducts and their effects on favor and
aroma, see CraftBeer.com/Components • Staling flavors develop as beer ages.
Esters • Common staling flavors include: Almond, black currant,
E-2-nonenal (Papery/cardboard), honey, metallic, sherry
• Esters are a byproduct of yeast during fermentation and
and more.
are the result of the presence of acids and alcohol.
For a full list of fermentation byproducts and their effects on flavor
• Common aromas (volatiles) include: apple, apricot,
and aroma, see CraftBeer.com/Components
banana, black currant, cherry, fig, grapefruit, kiwi, peach,
pear, pineapple, plum, raisin, raspberry, strawberry.
Get to Know More About Beer
• Generally esters are more common in ales than lagers 1. Arrange for a private tour of a local brewery.
because of warmer fermentation temperatures. Visit the CraftBeer.com Brewery Database and search
by city or state: CraftBeer.com/FindBrewery
• Common types of esters include:
2. Tour a hop field or malting facility.
-- Isoamyl acetate (common from weizen ale yeast) Ingredient suppliers are listed at BrewersAssociation.
·· Banana, pear org: BrewersAssociation.org/Suppliers
-- Ethyl Acetate
·· Nail polish remover, solvent 3. Brew a batch of beer in your kitchen.
-- Ethyl Hexanoate HomebrewersAssociation.org has a “How to Brew”
·· Red apple, anise seed section for homebrewers at all levels of experience:
Phenols HomebrewersAssociation.org/Beginner/How-To-
Make-Beer
• Common Phenols include: (Note: Not all phenols are
yeast-derived.) Review of Ingredients in Beer:
-- 4-vinyl guaiacol
1. Carbonation
·· Clove, cinnamon, vanilla, white pepper
2. Hops
-- Bromophenols
3. Malt
·· Burnt match, electrical short
4. Other Ingredients
-- Chlorophenols
5. Water
·· Antiseptic, mouthwash
6. Yeast and Microorganisms

CraftBeer.com A-Z of Beer Styles
Use this alphabetical list to identify and describe potential characteristics of a beer style.
Alcohol Hops
• Ranges: Not detectible, mild, noticeable, harsh • Aroma/Flavor: Citrus, floral, fruity, green, herbal, onion/
garlic, pine, resinous, spicy, spruce, sweaty, tropical,
• A synonym for ethyl alcohol or ethanol, the colorless woody
primary alcohol component of beer (fusel alcohol may
also be present) • Bitterness: 0-100+ IBUs
• Varies from less than 3.2 percent to more than 25.0 • Hops also contribute to a beer’s astringency
percent ABV.
• Sensed in aroma, flavor and palate Malt

Brewing and Conditioning Process
• Aroma/Flavor: Bread flour, grainy, biscuit, bready, toast,
caramel, pruny, roast, chocolate, coffee, smoky, acrid
• Modifying or adding steps to the brewing and conditioning • Sweetness: Low, medium, high
process can create unique characteristics in a beer
• Malt also contribute to a beer’s astringency
• Common variations include: Variable mashing, steeping,
unique fermentation temperatures, multiple yeast
additions, barrel aging and blending, dry hopping, bottle Other Ingredients
conditioning and filtering
• See Other Ingredients (Page 12)
Carbonation (Visual) Oxidative/Aged Qualities

• Visual Ranges: None, slow, medium, fast-rising bubbles
• Almond, black currant, E-2-nonenal (papery/cardboard),
• Volume Ranges: 1-3+ (carbon dioxide per volume of beer) honey, metallic, sherry, sweat socks, staling flavors, beer
darkens over time.
Clarity (different from color and brightness) Palate

• Ranges: Brilliant, clear, slight haze, hazy, opaque
Palate refers to the non-taste sensations felt on the mouth and
• Affected by the amount of solids suspended in the beer tongue when tasting a beer. The palate of a beer can be sensed as:
Collar of Foam (head retention and texture)

• Astringency
-- Ranges: Low, medium (-), medium, medium (+), high
• Retention ranges: None, poor (less than 15 seconds), • Body

moderate (up to 60 seconds), good (more than 60 seconds) -- Ranges: Drying, soft, mouth-coating, sticky
• Texture ranges: Thin, interrupted, foamy, rocky, mousse-like • Carbonation

-- Ranges: Low, medium, high
Color/SRM • Length of Finish/Aftertaste
-- Ranges: Short (less than 15 seconds), medium (up to
• Ranges: 2-50 60 seconds), long (more than 60 seconds).
• A numerical range representing the color of a beer, based
on absorption of specific wavelengths of light Water
• The higher the SRM, the darker the beer • Common taste descriptors include: Chalk, flint, sulfur
Geography/History Yeast, Microorganisms and Byproducts of Fermentation

• Country/City of origin when relevant • Yeast: Ale, Lager, Weizen, Brettanomyces
Glass • Fermentation Microoganisms: Acetobacter

Lactobacillus/Pediococcus (lactic), others.
(acetic),
• Type of glass most common for style • Esters, Phenols

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW OF
BEER STYLES
Beer styles play a very important role in the appreciation of beer—especially when pairing with food or using beer as an ingredient in
the kitchen. The following guidelines provide distinct properties about a beer including bitterness, color, texture and Alcohol By Volume
(ABV)—which all play a role in what we taste and how we pair. In this overview, 25 common styles of beer are reviewed, 10 of which you
will sample in the two tasting sessions later in the course.
For full style overview see the CraftBeer.com Beer Style Finder: Final Gravity (FG)
CraftBeer.com/Style-Finder • The specific gravity of a beer as measured when fermentation
is complete (when all desired fermentable sugars have been
What Is a Beer Style? converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide gas).
Beer styles continue to evolve over time. Today, there are hundreds
of documented beer styles and a handful of organizations that • When fermentation has occurred, this number is always
each have their own unique classifications. Style guidelines exist lower than Original Gravity.
to give beer lovers a methodology to describe, compare and
contrast different beers. Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
• A measurement of the alcohol content in terms of the
percentage volume of alcohol per volume of beer.
• To calculate the approximate volumetric alcohol content,

subtract the final gravity from the original gravity and
divide by 0.0075.
• Formula: ABV = (OG – FG) / 0.0075
• Example: OG 1.050, FG 1.012

-- ABV = (1.050 – 1.012) / 0.0075
-- ABV = 0.038 / 0.0075
-- ABV = 5.066
-- ABV = 5.1% (approximately)
Demonstration Video: What is a Beer Style
(CraftBeer.com/Styles-Video) International Bitterness Units (IBUs)
• 1 bitterness unit = 1 milligram of isomerized hop alpha
Styles guidelines may provide more information than many beer acids in one liter of beer.
novices care to know. However, as your beer journey unfolds,
your desire for more descriptors and resources will grow. • Can range from 0 (no bitterness) to above 100 IBUs.
Do All Craft Brewers Brew Their Beers to Style? • Most people cannot perceive bitterness above a specific
Craft beer resides at the intersection of art and science. It is up level of IBUs (said to be 80 IBUs by some sources).
to each individual brewer to decide whether they want to create
beer within specific style guidelines or forge a new path and break Color/Standard Reference Method (SRM)
the mold of traditional styles. • Very Light (1-1.5), Straw (2-3), Pale (4), Gold (5-6), Light Amber
(7), Amber (8), Medium Amber (9), Copper/Garnet (10-12),
Documented beer styles are like guideposts that make it possible Light Brown (13-15), Brown/Reddish Brown/Chestnut Brown
to compare and categorize individual beers. By measuring various (16-17), Dark Brown (18-24), Very Dark (25-39), Black (40+)
properties of a beer and comparing them to the style guidelines,
we can gain a deeper appreciation of what makes that beer unique.
Craft Beer By the Numbers 2 3 4 6 9 12 15 20 30 40+
Beer styles are defined via a combination of qualitative descriptions

Volumes of CO2
and numerical measurements. Here are some of the figures you’ll
• See Carbonation (CO2) section on page 11
encounter as you compare beer styles.
Apparent Attenuation
Original Gravity (OG)
• A measure of the extent of fermentation wort has undergone
• The specific gravity of wort (unfermented beer) before
in the process of becoming beer. Apparent Attenuation
fermentation. A measure of the total amount of solids that
reflects the amount of malt sugar that is converted to alcohol
are dissolved in the wort as compared to the density of
during fermentation. The result is expressed as a percentage
water, which is conventionally given as 1.000 at 60°F.
and equals 65 percent to 80 percent for most beers.

• Above 80 percent is very high attenuation with little Session Beer
residual sugar. Below 60 percent is low attenuation with
more residual sugar remaining. Style Description: Any style of beer can be
made lower in strength than described in
• Formula: AA = [(OG – FG) / (OG – 1)] x 100 the classic style guidelines. The goal should
be to reach a balance between the style’s
• Example: OG 1.080, FG 1.020 character and the lower alcohol content.
-- AA = [(1.080 – 1.020) / (1.080 – 1)] x 100 Drinkability is a factor in the overall balance
-- AA = (0.060 / 0.080) x 100 of these beers. Session beers commonly
-- AA = 0.75 x 100 do not exceed 5 percent ABV.
-- AA = 75%
Fun Facts: This beer style is not specific
Common U.S. Beer Styles to defined types of flavors, but instead
Most beer styles being made in the U.S. today can be categorized is specific to the perception and delivery of refreshment and
into 15 style families, comprising close to 80 distinct styles. drinkability.
Below we list 25 styles common at retail establishments in the Quantitative Style Statistics:
U.S. today. Later in this course, over two tasting sessions, you will • OG: 1.034–1.040
specifically sample 10 of these styles (bold). Note: These styles are • FG: 1.004–1.010
listed with like styles closest together. • ABV: 4–5%
• IBU: 10–30
Session Beer • SRM: 2+
• Volumes of CO2: Varies
American Amber Lager • Apparent Attenuation: 75–88%
German-Style Marzen / Oktoberfest
American Amber Lager
Belgian-Style Wit
Berliner-Style Weiss Style Description: A medium-bodied
German-Style Hefeweizen lager beer with a toasty or caramel-like
Bohemian-Style Pilsener malt character. Hop aroma and flavor is
very low to medium. Hop bitterness can
American Pale Ale range from very low to medium-high.
English-Style Pale Ale / ESB
American Brown Ale Fun Facts: A widely available, sessionable
American India Pale Ale (IPA) craft beer style that showcases both malt
and hops. Brewers may use a decoction
Imperial India Pale Ale mash and/or dry hopping to achieve
American Barley Wine advanced flavors.
German-Style Doppelbock
Quantitative Style Statistics:
Robust Porter • OG: 1.042–1.056
American Stout • FG: 1.010–1.018
Belgian-Style Dubbel • ABV: 4.8–5.4%
• IBU: 18–30
Belgian-Style Tripel
• SRM: 6–14
Belgian-Style Saison
• Volumes of CO2: 2.7
American Brett • Apparent Attenuation: 68–76%
Belgian-Style Flanders
Barrel-Aged Beers
Rye Beer
Smoke Beer
Gluten-Free Beer

German-Style Marzen/Oktoberfest Berliner-Style Weiss
Style Description: Rich maltiness with a Style Description: Low in alcohol and
balance of clean hop bitterness. Bread refreshingly tart, and often served with a
or biscuit-like malt aroma and flavor is flavored syrup like Woodruff or raspberry,
common. this German-style wheat ale presents a
harmony between yeast and lactic acid.
Fun Facts: Originating in Germany, this These beers are very pale in color and
style used to be seasonally available may be cloudy as they are often unfiltered.
(Marzen meaning March), with the “-fest” Hops are not a feature of these beers, but
style versions tapped in October. they often do showcase esters. Traditional
versions are often fermented with
Quantitative Style Statistics: Brettanomyces.
• OG: 1.050–1.060
• FG: 1.012–1.020 Fun Facts: Weiss beers are growing in popularity in the United
• ABV: 5.1–6% States, where many brewers are now adding traditional and exotic
• IBU: 18–25 fruits to the recipe, resulting in flavorful finishes with striking,
• SRM: 4–15 colorful hues. These beers are incredible when pairing. Bitterness,
• Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5 alcohol and residual sugar are very low, allowing the beer’s acidity,
• Apparent Attenuation: 67–76% white bread and graham cracker malt flavors to find their way to
food in rewarding ways. Carbonation is very high, adding to the
Belgian-Style Wit refreshment factor this style delivers.
Style Description: Brewed using unmalted Quantitative Style Statistics:
wheat, sometimes oats and malted barley. • OG: 1.028–1.032
Witbiers are spiced with coriander and • FG: 1.004–1.006
orange peel. • ABV: 2.8–3.4%
• IBU: 3–6
Fun Facts: A style that dates back hundreds
• SRM: 2–4
of years, it fell into relative obscurity until it
• Volumes of CO2: 3.5–4
was revived by Belgian brewer Pierre Celis
• Apparent Attenuation: 81–86%
in the 1960s. This style is currently enjoying
a renaissance, especially in the U.S. market. German-Style Hefeweizen
‘Wit’ means ‘white.’
Style Description: South German-style
Quantitative Style Statistics: hefeweizens are straw to amber in color
• OG: 1.044–1.050 and are made with at least 50 percent
• FG: 1.006–1.010 malted wheat. The aroma and flavor of
• ABV: 4.8–5.6% Weizen yeast is decidedly fruity (banana)
• IBU: 10–17 and phenolic (clove).
• SRM: 2–4
• Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5 Fun Facts: ‘Hefe’ means ‘yeast’ and
• Apparent Attenuation: 80–86% ‘weizen’ means ‘wheat.’ There are multiple
variations of this style. Filtered versions are
called Kristal Weizen, while darker versions
are called Dunkels and a stronger, bock-like version is called
Weizenbock. This is commonly a very highly carbonated beer style
with a long-lasting collar of foam.

• OG: 1.047–1.056
• FG: 1.008–1.016
• ABV: 4.9–5.6%
• IBU: 10–15
• SRM: 3–9
• Volumes of CO2: 2.5-3+

Bohemian-Style Pilsener English-Style Pale Ale/ESB
Style Description: A slightly sweet, Style Description: English pale ales

toasted, biscuit-like, bready malt character. display earthy, herbal English-variety hop
Hop bitterness is perceived as medium character. Medium to high hop bitterness,
with a low to medium-low level of noble- flavor and aroma should be evident. The
type hop aroma and flavor. yeast strains used in these beers lend a
fruitiness to their aroma and taste, referred
Fun Facts: This style originated in 1842, with to as esters.
‘Pilsner’ originally indicating an appellation
in the Czech Republic. Classic examples of Fun Facts: ESB stands for Extra Special
this style used to be conditioned in wooden Bitter. This style is known for its balance
tanks and had a less sharp hop bitterness, and interplay between malt and hops.
despite similar IBU ranges to German-Style Pils. Bohemian-Style
Pilsener is darker in color and higher in final gravity compared to Quantitative Style Statistics:
German-Style Pilsener, and low levels of diacetyl are acceptable. • OG: 1.040–1.056
• FG: 1.008–1.016
Quantitative Style Statistics: • ABV: 4.4–5.3%
• OG: 1.044–1.056 • IBU: 20–40
• FG: 1.014–1.020 • SRM: 5–12
• ABV: 4.1–5.1% • Volumes of CO2: 1.5–2
• IBU: 30–45 • Apparent Attenuation: 71–80%
• SRM: 3–7
• Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5 American Brown Ale
Style Description: Roasted malt, caramel-
American Pale Ale like and chocolate-like characters should
be of medium intensity in both flavor and
Style Description: An American interpre- aroma. American brown ales have evident
tation of a classic English style. This style is low to medium hop flavor and aroma,
characterized by fruity, floral and citrus-like medium to high hop bitterness.
American-variety hop character, producing
medium to medium-high hop bitterness, Fun Facts: The history of this beer style
flavor and aroma. American pale ales have goes back to U.S. homebrewers who were
medium body and low to medium maltiness inspired by English-Style Brown Ales and
that may include low caramel malt character. Porters. It sits in flavor between an English-
Style Brown Ale and English-Style Brown Porter, but is more bitter
Fun Facts: This is based on the English than both.
Pale Ale style, but with more of a hop bite.
Quantitative Style Statistics: • OG: 1.040–1.060
• OG: 1.044–1.050 • FG: 1.010–1.018
• FG: 1.008–1.014 • ABV: 4.2–6.3%
• ABV: 4.4–5.4% • IBU: 25–45
• IBU: 30–50 • SRM: 15–26
• SRM: 6–14 • Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5
• Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5 • Apparent Attenuation: 70–75%

American IPA (India Pale Ale) American Barley Wine
Style Description: Characterized by Style Description: These ales range from

floral, fruity, citrus-like, piney or resinous amber to deep red, copper or garnet in
American-variety hop character, this beer is color. Caramel and toffee aromas and
all about hop flavor, aroma and bitterness. flavors are often part of the malt character,
along with high residual malty sweetness.
Fun Facts: This has been the most-entered Complexity of alcohols is evident. Fruity
category at the Great American Beer ester characters are often high.
Festival for more than a decade and is the
top-selling craft beer style in supermarkets Fun Facts: As with many American versions
and liquor stores across the U.S. of a style, this barley wine ale is typically
more hop-forward and bitter than its UK
Quantitative Style Statistics: counterpart. Low levels of age-induced oxidation can harmonize
• OG: 1.060–1.075 with other flavors and enhance the overall experience.
• FG: 1.012–1.018
• ABV: 6.3–7.6% Quantitative Style Statistics:
• IBU: 50–70 • OG: 1.090–1.120
• SRM: 6–14 • FG: 1.024–1.028
• Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5 • ABV: 8.5–12.2%
• Apparent Attenuation: 76–80% • IBU: 60–100
• SRM: 11–18
Imperial IPA (India Pale Ale) • Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5
Style Description: High hop bitterness,
flavor and aroma. Hop character is fresh German-Style Doppelbock
and lively from utilization of any variety of
hops. Alcohol content is medium-high to Style Description: Color is copper to
high and notably evident, with a medium- dark brown. Malt sweetness is dominant
high to full body. but should not be cloying. Malt character
is more reminiscent of fresh and lightly
Fun Facts: Though higher in alcohol than toasted Munich-style malt, more so
other IPAs, examples of this style should than caramel or toffee malt character.
still deliver a balance between malt and Doppelbocks are full-bodied, and
hops without seeming too strong. alcoholic strength is on the higher end.
Quantitative Style Statistics: Fun Facts: Doppel meaning ‘double,’

• OG: 1.075–1.100 this style is a bigger and stronger version
• FG: 1.012–1.020 compared to the lower-gravity German-Style bock beers. Originally
• ABV: 7.6–10.6% made by monks in Munich, this style is a very food-friendly beer. It
• IBU: 65–100 is rich in melanoidins and reminiscent of toasted bread.
• SRM: 5–16
• Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5 Quantitative Style Statistics:
• Apparent Attenuation: 75-81% • OG: 1.074–1.080
• FG: 1.014–1.020
• ABV: 6.6–7.9%
• IBU: 17–27
• SRM: 12–30
• Volumes of CO2: 2.5 approx.

Robust Porter Belgian-Style Dubbel
Style Description: Robust porters often Style Description: Ranges from brown to
show more bitter and roasted malt flavor very dark in color, with a malty sweetness
than a brown porter, but not quite as much and possible chocolate-like caramel aroma
as a stout. Robust porters have a roast malt and flavor. Hop bitterness is medium-low
flavor, often reminiscent of cocoa, but no to medium. Yeast-generated fruity esters
roast barley flavor. Their caramel and malty (especially banana) can be apparent. Often
sweetness is in harmony with the sharp bottle-conditioned, a slight yeast haze and
bitterness of black malt. Hop bitterness is flavor may be evident.
evident.
Fun Facts: Dubbel meaning ‘double,’
Fun Facts: With U.S. craft brewers on the this beer is still not so big in intensity as
scene and so much experimentation in beer styles and ingredients, to surpass the Belgian-Style Quadruple, of which it often is
the lines between certain stouts and porters are often blurred— considered a less-bold sibling.
yet many deliberate examples of these styles do exist. Diacetyl is
acceptable at very low levels. Quantitative Style Statistics:
• OG: 1.060–1.075
Quantitative Style Statistics: • FG: 1.012–1.016
• OG: 1.045–1.060 • ABV: 6.3–7.6%
• FG: 1.080–1.016 • IBU: 20–30
• ABV: 5.1–6.6% • SRM: 16–36
• IBU: 25–40 • Volumes of CO2: 3–4
• SRM: 30+ • Apparent Attenuation: 79–80%
• Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5
• Apparent Attenuation: 73–82% Belgian-Style Tripel
American Stout Style Description: Complex, sometimes

mildly spicy flavor characterizes this style.
Style Description: Coffee and chocolate- Yeast-driven complexity is common. Tripels
forward ale, but with a hop aroma and are often on the higher end of the ABV
flavor—often from a citrus-forward variety— spectrum, yet are approachable to many
the American stout is bold, with a distinctive different palates. These beers commonly
dry-roasted bitterness in the finish. Fruity are bottle-conditioned and finish dry.
esters should be low, and head retention high.
Fun Facts: Tripels are similar to Belgian-
Fun Facts: Oatmeal is a common ingredient Style Golden Strong Ales, but are generally
also added to American stouts, lending darker and have a more noticeable malt
additional body and head retention to sweetness.
these beers. Additionally, roasted barley is a
common ingredient often differentiating these beers from porters. Quantitative Style Statistics:
• OG: 1.070–1.092
Quantitative Style Statistics: • FG: 1.008–1.018
• OG: 1.050–1.075 • ABV: 7.1–10.1%
• FG: 1.010–1.022 • IBU: 20–45
• ABV: 5.7–8.9% • SRM: 4–9
• IBU: 35–60 • Volumes of CO2: 3–4
• SRM: 40+ • Apparent Attenuation: 80–89%

Belgian-Style Saison Belgian-Style Flanders
Style Description: Beers in this category Style Description: An ale with character and
are pale to deep light brown in color. balance, thanks to lactic sourness and acetic
Often bottle-conditioned, with some yeast acid. Cherry-like flavors are acceptable, as is
character and high carbonation. Belgian- malt sweetness that can lend bitterness and
style saisons may have Brettanomyces or a cocoa-like character. Oak or other wood-
lactic character as well as fruity, horsey, like flavors may be present, even if the beer
goaty and/or leather-like notes. Specialty was not aged in barrels.
ingredients including spices may contribute
a unique and signature character. Fun Facts: This beer style is a marvel in flavor
complexity of malt, yeast, micoorganisims,
Fun Facts: Commonly called a farmhouse acidity and low astringency from barrel aging.
ale and originating as summertime beers in Belgium, these are not
just warm-weather treats. U.S. craft brewers brew them year-round Quantitative Style Statistics:
and have taken to adding a variety of additional ingredients. • OG: 1.044–1.056
• FG: 1.008–1.016
Quantitative Style Statistics: • ABV: 4.8–6.6%
• OG: 1.055–1.080 • IBU: 8–25
• FG: 1.004–1.016 • SRM: 12–25
• ABV: 4.4–8.4% • Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5
• IBU: 20–40 • Apparent Attenuation: 71–82%
• SRM: 4–14
• Volumes of CO2: 3–3.5 Barrel-Aged Beers
Style Description: A wood- or barrel-aged
American Brett beer is any lager, ale or hybrid beer, either
a traditional style or a unique experimental
Style Description: These unique beers vary beer, that has been aged for a period of
in color and can take on the hues of added time in a wooden barrel or in contact with
fruits or other ingredients. The evolution wood. These beers are aged with the
of natural acidity develops balanced intention of imparting the unique character
complexity. Horsey, goaty, leathery, phenolic of the wood and/or what has previously
and some fruity acidic character derived been in the barrel.
from Brettanomyces yeast may be evident,
but in balance with other components of Fun Facts: Today’s craft brewers are
the beer. using wood (mostly oak) to influence flavor and aromatics. Beer
may be aged in wooden barrels (new or previously used to age
Fun Facts: Brett beer and sour beer are not wine or spirits), or chips, spirals and cubes may be added to the
synonymous. Brett beer may contain acidic components, but the conditioning tanks that normally house beer. A variety of types of
presence of acidity in all Brettanomyces beers should not be assumed. wood are used including oak, apple, alder, hickory and more. The
interior of most barrels is charred or toasted to further enhance
Quantitative Style Statistics: the flavor of the barrels.
• OG: Varies
• FG: Varies Quantitative Style Statistics:
• ABV: Varies • OG: Varies
• IBU: Varies • FG: Varies
• SRM: Varies • ABV: Varies
• Volumes of CO2: Varies • IBU: Varies
• Apparent Attenuation: Varies • SRM: Varies
• Apparent Attenuation: Varies

Rye Beer Gluten-Free Beer
Style Description: In darker versions, malt Style Description: A beer (lager, ale or
flavor can optionally include low roasted other) that is made from fermentable sugars,
malt characters evident as cocoa, chocolate grains and converted carbohydrates.
or caramel, and/or aromatic toffee-like, Ingredients do not contain gluten.
caramel, or biscuit-like notes. Low-level
roasted malt astringency is acceptable Fun Facts: Barley, wheat, oats, rye and spelt
when balanced with low to medium malt commonly contain gluten, so look for other
sweetness. Hop flavor is low to medium- fermentables to be featured in these beers.
high. Hop bitterness is low to medium.
These beers can be made using either ale Quantitative Style Statistics:
or lager yeast. • OG: Varies
• FG: Varies
Fun Facts: The addition of rye to a beer can add a spicy or • ABV: Varies
pumpernickel characteristic to the flavor and finish. Color can • IBU: Varies
also be enhanced and made more red from the use of rye. The • SRM: Varies
ingredient has come into vogue in recent years in everything from • Volumes of CO2: Varies
stouts to lagers, but is especially popular with craft brewers in • Apparent Attenuation: Varies
India Pale Ales. Grist should include sufficient rye such that rye
character is evident in the beer. To check out the vital statistics and A-Z of all U.S. beer styles, visit
CraftBeer.com.
• OG: Varies
• FG: Varies
• ABV: Varies
• IBU: Varies
• SRM: Varies
Smoke Beer
Style Description: When malt is kilned

over an open flame, the smoke flavor
becomes infused into the beer, leaving a
taste that can vary from dense campfire to
slight wisps of smoke. This style is open
to interpretation by individual brewers.
Any style of beer can be smoked; the goal
is to reach a balance between the style’s
character and the smoky properties.
Fun Facts: Smoke flavors dissipate over

time, so keep this in mind! Originating in Germany as Rauchbier,
this style is more open to interpretation by U.S. craft brewers.
Classic base styles include German-Style Marzen/Oktoberfest,
German-Style Bock, German-Style Dunkel, Vienna-Style Lager
and more.

• OG: Varies
• FG: Varies
• ABV: Varies
• IBU: Varies
• SRM: Varies

SECTION TWO

SECTION 2: WHO CLASSIFIES
BEER STYLES
An overview of four of the main U.S. organizations that publish beer style guidelines: CraftBeer.com, the Brewers Association, the Beer
Judge Certification Program and the Master Brewers Association of America. Learn why each of these organization publishes guidelines
and who’s using them.
how to reach the flavor profiles described for each style. These
guidelines are free to download from BrewersAssociation.org
(BrewersAssociation.org/Beer-Styles), and Brewers Association
CraftBeer.com membership is not required.
The CraftBeer.com Style Finder (CraftBeer.com/Style-Finder)
targets beer lovers and provides a methodology to describe, Beer Judge Certification Program
compare and contrast different beers being made by small and The Beer Judge Certification Program is a
independent U.S. producers. CraftBeer.com overviews almost global, volunteer-run program that exists
80 U.S. beer styles in 15 style families. The quick hit Style Finder to promote standards of excellence in beer
and in-depth style Study Guide is the most extensive U.S. style judging and to teach the skills needed to
guideline that exists today and is free to access and download. properly taste and evaluate beer. The BJCP
guidelines list common ingredients of the
Brewers Association beers described and can be downloaded for
The Brewers Association publishes a world beer free at BJCP.org.
styles list, released annually since 1993. The
BA Beer Style Guidelines are developed using According to the BJCP, the goal of the guidelines is to provide
sources from the commercial brewing community a common set of standards for judges so that there is a level
and input from beer competition judges. They are playing field for all entrants. Judges and entrants use the same
the most comprehensive set of guidelines on the descriptions, so evaluations are based less on personal opinion
world’s commercial beer styles available today. and more on how well the entered beer matches world- class
commercial examples of the style.
The guidelines focus first on a beer’s appearance, aroma, flavor
and finish, in that order. In 2015, they included ten style categories Master Brewers Association of America
and 145 world beer styles. Versions of these guidelines are used by The Master Brewers Association of America offers a beer steward
judges as a resource to match against when tasting beers entered certification program (MBAA.com/Education/BeerSteward),
into the Great American Beer Festival® and World Beer Cup®. which has its own specified set of style guidelines. These world
beer style guidelines, published in 2011, categorize beer into
For the majority of styles, the guidelines do not list common five style families, comprising 72 unique styles. The guidelines
ingredients for each style, but instead, emphasize common are not available for public viewing except in the Beer Steward
flavor characteristics. It’s up to individual brewers to determine Handbook.

SECTION 2: IDENTIFYING FLAVOR
PROFILES OF BEER
Color, aroma, carbonation and body are the qualities that determine what the eyes, nose and palate will see, smell, taste and feel with
every sip of craft beer. Take a closer look at each of these attributes, as well as six of the main flavor profiles most often identified on the
palate—and which beer styles they’re associated with.
Identifying beer by its flavor profile is an alternative to identifying it

by style, though both methods are complementary. When starting
with a preselected style, the flavors are more or less predefined, so
pairings and culinary uses will be restricted to what that style will
work with. Beginning with flavor profiles allows the guest or chef to
focus on descriptive characteristics (outlined below) and find a beer
that matches their preferences.
Often the best way to introduce craft beer is to work from flavor
profiles as opposed to styles. Guests can identify with words like
crisp, clean, bitter, fruity, tart and sour more easily than with beer-
specific terminology like IPA, amber, stout or pilsener. Begin by
asking which flavors the guest prefers, then select a style that best
fits those descriptors. Demonstration Video: Dark Beer Myths (CraftBeer.com/Myths)
The process of identifying flavor profiles in craft beer can be quite
the challenge. Every palate will taste and react somewhat differently Aroma
to the same flavors. But by taking the time to develop a descriptive The aroma of craft beer comes mainly from the hops, malt and
vocabulary, you’ll find reference points that will make the language yeast strain. Of the three main senses (sight, smell and taste),
of beer accessible to most people. At the same time, craft beer will the aroma of a beer often has the most varied sensory response.
reveal itself in greater depth and meaning. Aromas of alcohol, floral scents, fruit, leather, oil, sulfur, yeast and
more can often sway what the palate will soon taste.
First, let’s deconstruct what makes up the flavor profiles of craft beer.
In simple terms, the flavor profile is determined by that particular Carbonation
beer’s combination of carbonation, hops, malt, water and yeast. CO2 is a byproduct of fermentation, produced by yeast. Less-
The varying aspects of the brewing process and brewers’ personal carbonated beers will sit heavier and longer on the palate, while
touches add the final notes that make each craft beer unique. more-carbonated beers will invigorate the palate.
Color, aroma, carbonation and body are the qualities that determine Palate/Body
what the eyes, nose and palate will see, smell, taste, and feel with The astringency, body, carbonation and finish contribute to the
every sip of craft beer. overall palate of a beer—the way it tastes and feels on the mouth
and tongue. Proteins and residual sugars from the malt, extracted
Color during brewing and modified during fermentation, determine
Color comes mainly from the kilning and roasting of barley. The boil the final body or consistency of the liquid. Think of the difference
time and brewing specifics will affect how much color the final beer between skim milk (light body), whole milk (medium body) and
takes on, as will filtration (if used). Color plays tricks on the mind and whipping cream (heavy body).
palate, which identify dark with heavy, light with clean, and caramel
(light brown) with sweet. While these associations can sometimes In addition, there are six major flavor profiles in craft beer. Within
be true, it is also possible to have a dark-colored beer that tastes these main profiles are flavor clues that point to specific beer
and feels light, a light-colored beer that boasts rich and complex styles and lead you closer to ideas for pairing.
flavors, or a caramel-colored beer that tastes dry and bitter. It is
best to let the final flavors develop on the palate before judging
what affect the color has on the flavor profile.

CRAFTBEER.COM BEER FLAVORS SIX PACK
To download the CraftBeer.com Flavor Six-Pack, visit CraftBeer.com/SixPack
1. Crisp & Clean Hop: By dry-hopping these beers, the usual crisp and clean notes of
Groupings: Clean, Malt, Hop these styles will come across drier and have a distinct hop bite in the
finish. Herbal or floral notes from the hops will be noticeable from the
2. Malty & Sweet aroma all the way to the finish of the beer. The malt notes tend to
Groupings: Toast, Caramel take a back seat in pairing. Subtle use of grain or vegetal flavors can
balance out the malt and hops on the palate.
3. Dark & Roasty
Groupings: Dark and malty, Dark and dry Examples:
Specialty Beer: Hoppy Lager / India Pale Lager
4. Hoppy & Bitter Specialty Beer: Imperial Pilsner
Groupings: Earthy and bitter; Hop-bitter, malt-forward;
Strong hop, herbal, earthy or citrus 2. Malty & Sweet
Malt-driven flavors dominate this flavor profile. The palate can expect
5. Fruity & Spicy
a degree of sweetness and deep notes of nuts, toffee, caramel, toast
Groupings: Bright yeast, Dark
and dark fruit. Hops are still present and can be pulled out through
6. Sour, Tart & Funky careful pairing, but the focus of the pairing should be on highlighting
Groupings: Sour, Tart, Funky the malt profile on the palate. Pairings rely on carbonation more than
hop bitterness to help cleanse the palate.
Not all styles listed below are overviewed in Common U.S. Beer
Styles starting on page 17. For reference on styles listed, refer Toast: Beers with this flavor profile pack in crisp notes along
to CraftBeer.com Style Finder (CraftBeer.com/Style-Finder) and with very full malt flavors. Biscuity, nutty and toast flavors will run
Brewers Association Styles (BrewersAssociation.org/Beer-Styles) through the palate. Stronger versions present the palate with
caramel and roasted fruit notes. The biggest of these will begin
1. Crisp & Clean to pull on flavors from dried fruits such as raisins, dates and figs.
Successful pairings often mimic the beer’s fruit notes in the dish,
Crisp beers will present clean and refreshing on the palate. They
and use dry-heat cooking methods that bring out the maillard
have a very delicate impact on the palate and can sometimes
reaction.
produce a feeling of dryness in the mouth. Crisp beers can
cleanse the palate of flavors and leave it feeling refreshed when Examples:
properly paired. These beers should be paired carefully as to English-Style Mild
allow the subtle notes of the beer to speak through the pairing. German-Style Schwarzbier
Simple and clean pairings focusing on a single dominant flavor German-Style Dunkel
work best to allow the palate to experience the notes in the craft English-Style Brown Ale
beer style. German-Style Bock
German-Style Doppelbock
Clean: Showing a nice balance of hops and malt. The yeasts used
in these beers can contribute flavors of green apple or pear, and Caramel: While still focusing on a very sturdy malt presence, these
the malt comes across smooth on the palate. The flavors from craft beers will bring a brighter dried-fruit note to the palate. Notes
these styles will not linger on the palate and should be paired with of toffee can be found next to red apples, orange zest and plum.
ingredients to create an overall delicate outcome. These craft beers pair well with simpler dry-heat cooking methods.
The use of vegetal flavors can often bring out the fruit profiles in
Examples:
each style.
Bohemian and German-Style Pilsener
Belgian-Style Blonde Ale Examples:
Blonde Ale English-Style Bitter
German-Style Kölsch Scottish-Style Ale
Irish-Style Red
Malt: These beers bring notes of bread and biscuit to the palate. They
French-Style Biére de Garde
can handle more complex pairings and flavor combinations and are
English-Style Pale Ale / ESB
versatile with both dry-heat and moist-heat cooking methods that
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
allow the craft beer to finish clean.
Examples: 3. Dark & Roasty

American Amber Lager These craft beers focus their flavor profiles on dark roasted malts
German-Style Helles that contribute coffee and cocoa notes. From aroma to palate to
American Amber Ale finish, the roast of the malt comes through stronger than in other
German-Style Märzen/Oktoberfest flavor profiles.
German-Style Maibock

Dark and malty: Intense roasting can produce a delicate Hop-bitter, malt-forward: While the hops are still the driving
bitterness in these beers, which gravitate more toward the profiles notes for pairing, these craft beers will have a stronger malt bill
of milk chocolate, raw tree nuts and coffee with cream. The more that enables them to pair with heavier dishes. Caramel notes
intense these styles get, the more the fruit profile of dates and will become present from the malt, but the balance of the
figs becomes present. Pair these beers by using ingredients that flavor and finish will still lean toward the bittering of the hops.
calm the stronger roast flavors on the palate and bring out the It is common for the aroma to start with hop notes of pine and
more subtle and delicate notes of fruit and hops that can often be then shift to caramel malt while the beer is on the palate. The
hidden behind roasted malts. bitterness of the hops will almost always be the ending note
on the palate. These craft beer styles tend to be balanced on
Examples the palate and work well with dry-heat cooking methods. Focus
German-Style Schwarzbier the flavor profile of the pairing to pull out either the malt or the
English-Style Brown Porter hops and let the other be a supporting ingredient.
Robust Porter
English-Style Oatmeal Stout Examples:
American Brown Ale California Common
English-Style Brown Ale American Amber Ale
American Barley Wine
Dark and dry: These craft beers use the darkest roasts and are
commonly the driest of the dark flavor profiles. Burnt grain, dark Strong hop, earthy, herbal or citrus: The malt takes a back seat
chocolate and espresso are the most notable aromas. Fruit flavors and the heavy use of intensely flavorful hops creates craft beers
emerge in the strongest versions, often giving off aromas of that are brimming with hop-driven notes of citrus, resin and tropical
plums and cherries. Though the aroma often suggests a heavier fruit. The aromas in these beers can overtake the senses at times,
mouthfeel, these beers tend to be lighter on the palate, which and the bittering can be in excess of 100 IBUs (past the point at
allows the dry notes to come into play in pairing. Both dry and which most people can perceive additional bitterness). A current
moist heat cooking methods work well for pairings, but caution trend in American craft brewing with these styles is hops, hops and
should be taken with the depth of flavors so as to not overpower more hops, which can overpower many flavors. Cooking methods
the beer. Pair to the mouthfeel of these craft beer styles and use that utilize dry-heat methods or the addition of fat help the palate
the aroma as a supporting quality. cut through the intense hop profiles.
Examples: Examples:
Irish-Style Dry Stout American Pale Ale
Specialty Beer: American Black Ale India Pale Ale (IPA)
American Stout Speciality Beer: Fresh Hop IPA
American Imperial Stout Imperial IPA
4. Hoppy & Bitter 5. Fruity & Spicy

Hops contribute the majority of aromas and pronounced While still showing flavors of malt and hops, these craft beers
bitterness found in many beer styles. Though these beers will are dominated by notes of fruit and spice. The spice flavors
have a solid malt base, the hops will always provide the most are derived from the yeast and can be supported by adding
dominant flavors. These beers cover a very wide range and additional, complementary spices. To enhance the fruity notes
can easily be the most difficult to pair. Hops typically respond present, actual fruit puree or fruit may be added to the beer.
well to pairings with fatty foods, which calm the hop flavors Common pairing practices can be to highlight the fruit or spice in
on the palate. Fat coats the palate, and the bitterness of the the pairing, or to use the fruit or spice profile in the craft beer as a
hops pleasantly cleanses it away. Note: Hop bitterness that supporting ingredient in the dish.
has very little to no malt support can clash with some seafood,
such as salmon, imparting a metallic flavor. Always do a test Bright yeast: Brighter fruit notes are common aromas in these
tasting to be sure. styles, like tart apple, pear, peach, orange, lemon and apricot.
Bubblegum is also a very common aroma sensation, as well as
Earthy and bitter: These craft beers will intentionally use a lighter the following spices: clove, pepper, vanilla, coriander, cinnamon,
malt bill in order to focus the palate on the hops. Common hop nutmeg and bay leaf. Darker versions with more of a malt presence
varieties used here will give more herbal deep bittering notes. may show notes of toast, caramel, and deep dark fruit, but still
Using ingredients in the pairing to calm the hops on the palate maintain a spicy yeast note.
will bring the malt forward and hold the hops off, so the palate can
experience the full flavor of these craft beer styles. Examples:
Belgian-Style Wit
Examples: German-Style Hefeweizen
English-Style Bitter Belgian-Style Saison
American Pale Ale Speciality Beer: Gruit Ale
American India Pale Ale (IPA) Belgian-Style Blonde Ale
Specialty Beer: Belgian IPA Belgian-Style Golden Strong Ale
Belgian-Style Tripel

Dark: Darker fruit notes come to the palate of these styles, like balance of simple clean flavors. Delicate cooking methods and
fig, raspberry, prune, raisin, cherry, plum and strawberry. Pairing raw ingredients tend to bring out the most well-rounded pairings
is sometimes akin to pairing a red wine with deep vinous notes. on the palate.
Spicy aromatics will present on the palate as notes of clove, pepper,
rose, nutmeg, cinnamon, and even a hint of smoke in some cases. Examples:
Malt flavors are more present in these styles and can strengthen Berliner-Style Weiss
the overall body of the beer. These craft beers can be heavy on the Specialty Beer: Leipzig-Style Gose
palate and flavors can linger post-sip for several minutes. Pairing
Sour: The most wine-like of all the styles. Pronounced acidity is
to the richness of these beers and using key ingredients in the
blended on the palate with fruity aromas of cherry, plum, apricot,
dish will cut through their depth to further explore the entire flavor
peach, pluot and strawberry. These styles can often see the addition
profile. Richer foods are commonly used so that the beer does not
of whole fruit to the beers. Notes of caramel from the malt can
dominate the palate.
balance the middle, and if the craft beer has been barrel-aged the
Examples: palate will pick up additional supporting notes of vanilla and spice. In
Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale pairing, cooking proteins with the maillard reaction can pull out roast
Belgian-Style Dubbel notes in the beer that balance the vinous character on the palate.
Belgian-Style Quadrupel Overpowering these beers with fat can hide the acidity, and caution
should be taken to not completely diminish those palate reactions.
6. Sour, Tart & Funky Examples:
Sour craft beers show a wide range of flavor profiles. Rustic, funky, Belgian-Style Flanders
barnyard, farmhouse, leather, hay, grass, and even wet socks are American Brett
notes that have commonly been attributed to many of these Belgian-Style Fruit Lambic
styles. When acidic, these craft beer styles will also show the most
wine-like notes and are often aged in wood to add complexity. Funky: These craft beers will possess intense qualities of earthy,
These craft beers can also be blended with other styles to deepen farmhouse, grassy, barnyard and leather notes. Milder fruit notes
the overall impact on the palate. When pairing these styles, it is in the aroma are commonly identified on the palate as peach,
best to address the sour, tart or funky notes head-on and decide strawberry, apricot and grape. The carbonation level in these
if your pairing will echo the flavor profile and elevate it, or calm craft beers will often be higher and can have a refreshing quality
the dominant notes and allow the palate to explore the secondary on the palate. These craft beer styles can hide their ABV quite
flavors in the craft beer. well and therefore are more versatile than the initial flavors may
suggest. Cleaner cooking methods with the gentle use of fat and
Tart: Gentle acidity, lighter malts, lower alcohol and lighter body supporting notes of herbs and spice can round out these craft
make these craft beers the tamest of the group. They are delicately beer styles on the palate.
tart with bright citrus notes, but will not overpower the palate
with a defining funky character. They will leave the palate almost Examples:
bone-dry and often have a gentle citrus finish. The carbonation Belgian-Style Saison
level found in these styles is generally very high and can be used American Brett
to refresh the palate. Pairing these craft beer styles is a delicate Belgian-Style Lambic / Gueuze

SECTION 2: HOW TO
PRESENT & POUR BEER
Learn the proper way to present and pour a beer from each of the six most common formats: draught, individual bottle, large-format
bottle, magnum bottle, can and growler. Temperature, glassware and pouring technique all play important roles in a beer’s presentation
and taste.
Once the guest has decided which craft beer to enjoy, the next 6. Growler: Rare at retail, these refillable containers that
step is presenting the craft beer to the guest and/or table. transport fresh craft beer from the local brewery or filling
station to an even more local location (i.e. a refrigerator)
There are the six main types of packaging that craft beer can are quickly becoming more popular. Growlers come
come in for presentation: in a variety of sizes, but the most common is 64-ounce
(half gallon).
1. Draught: Any craft beer coming from a draught system,
including both CO2 and nitrogen carbonation as well as
cask pours.
1. Draught
Draught Systems
2. Individual bottle: 12-ounce to 16-ounce bottles as well as
375ml bottles. The number-one factor affecting how draught beer pours is
temperature. At retail, even a few degrees increase above the
3. Large-format bottle: 22-ounce and 750ml bottles.
ideal maximum of 38°F can create pouring problems, especially
4. Magnum bottle: Any bottle larger than 750ml. excessive foaming, unless the system has been balanced with the
warmer temperatures in mind.
5. Can: 12-ounce cans are the most common, though
16-ounce and 22-ounce cans have also made their way See Temperature Tips For Retailers (CraftBeer.com/Temperature).
into the market.

How To Pour Nitrogen
Pouring a craft beer from a draught system is an art form. Once For nitrogen draught pours, place the appropriate glass directly
you have selected the proper glassware for the beer style you underneath the tap, resting on the drain tray. Begin by pulling the
are pouring and have inspected it for cleanliness, position the nitrogen tap forward and allowing the first third of the total pour
glass underneath the tap just below the nozzle. It is important size to pour into the glass. Close the tap and allow the beer to rest
never to touch the glass to the nozzle or hold the glass so that until it has settled and the collar of foam has collapsed to less than
the nozzle is inside the glass. This prevents unsanitary conditions one inch. Pour the next third of the volume and again close the
and glass breakage. tap and rest the beer. Finish with the final third of the pour size,
which should result in a thick, creamy one-inch collar of foam. As
Hold the glass at a 45-degree angle. Pull the tap toward you to with CO2 draught pours, serve the beer immediately.
open the flow of beer. As the level of beer rises, slowly reduce the
angle of the glass to vertical while keeping the beer pouring into Cask
the center of the glass.
Traditionally, cask beer is matured by secondary fermentation in
Close the tap with one inch of room to spare before getting to the container from which it will be dispensed (instead of maturing
the desired pour size. As you top off the beer, begin to lower the in a tank and being transferred to a keg, can or bottle). Cask beer
glass from the tap to allow the proper head of foam to form (for is usually unfiltered, unpasteurized and still has active yeast. It is
the majority of beer styles, the Brewers Association recommends also less carbonated and commonly served at a temperature of
a one-inch collar of foam). 45°F to 55°F.
There are two common methods of dispensing beer from a cask:

through the use of a beer engine or a gravity-forced dispensing
system. Purists insist on no addition of CO2, but some modern
dispensing systems do employ a blanket of CO2 inside the head
space of the cask.
Place the appropriate glass under the cask engine and bring the
glass all the way up until the spray nozzle touches the bottom of
the glass. Begin to pull the engine handle toward you. As beer
fills into the glass, lower the glass to keep the nozzle at the level
of the top of the beer in the glass. Once you have pulled the
total pour size into the glass, pull the glass straight down from
the nozzle and serve immediately. Return to the cask engine
after each pour and wipe down the nozzle with a sanitized towel.
Once the pour is complete, the craft beer must be delivered to For more information on cask dispensing methods, see Draught
the guest immediately. Should the head begin to collapse prior Beer Quality Manual (DraughtQuality.org).
to service, it is appropriate to return the beer to the tap and pull a
quick top-off to reinvigorate the head. 2. Individual bottle
There are two types of bottle tops for individual bottles: cork-and-
Tip: Frosted glassware is not cool. Serving craft beer in a frosted cage tops, and the more common bottle cap. Both types should be
glass is like taking an ice pick, chipping some ice off your freezer presented to the guest unopened, with the label facing the guest.
wall, and dropping it into your customer’s beer. It is best to serve
beer in glassware that is room temperature or slightly chilled. While bottle caps are very easy to open, the cork-and-cage
Rinsing glassware with a fresh shot of water is also recommended requires a bit of finesse. First remove the cage, then very slowly
to prime the glass, lessen foaming and remove any residual twist the cork while gently pulling up. It is important to keep the
sanitizer, detergent or water spots. Shake out excess water, but bottle vertical while opening.
do not towel-dry the inside of the glass.
Once the cap/cork is removed, begin by holding the glass at a
For more details on draught pouring technique, see the Draught 45-degree angle and slowly pour the beer into the glass. Keep
Beer Quality Manual (DraughtQuality.org). a constant slow stream pouring and begin to bring the glass
to vertical.
As the beer nears the top of the glass or the last third of the bottle,
begin to raise the bottle away from the glass to create the final
head. The head should rise one to one and a half inches above
the beer line. Unless requested by the guest, remove the empty
bottle with you and present the glass to the guest.
Some styles, such as German-Style Hefeweizen, may require

rousing of the yeast. Yeast sediment in beer contains vitamins
and minerals that are healthful to consume, but it is up to the
customer—ask their preference before service. If the customer
Demonstration Video: The Perfect Craft Beer Pour does desire to consume the yeast, you can facilitate this by
(CraftBeer.com/Pour) swirling, rolling or inverting the bottle and pouring the remaining

yeast in the center of the glass (often bringing the head of the Magnums may be left on the table, stored in an ice bucket tableside,
beer well above the rim of the glass). Each establishment should or kept at a side station with trips to re-pour. Stay attentive—you
set guidelines for which technique servers will use. never want the guest refilling their own glass. As the bottle nears
the bottom, be cautious of sediment and pour slowly. Once you see
the color change to cloudy, consider the bottle finished.
5. Can
Away from the guest, just prior to pouring the craft beer, pop the
can open. Take the opened can and appropriate glassware with
you to the guest. Present the craft beer with the label facing the
guest and announce the beer by name. This acts as a final order
confirmation for the guest as well.
Hold the glass at a slight angle, with the can about an inch from
the top of the glass, and begin pouring. As the glass fills, adjust the
angle of the glass until vertical. Once the glass is vertical, begin to
slow the pour to form the head. The last third of the can should be
poured in a constant slow stream into the center of the glass as the
head rises. It is appropriate for the level of the head to crest over
the top of the glass and form a peak. It is not appropriate to have
beer drip down the side of the glass, nor for the head to be more
than one inch in height.
3. Large-format bottle
Large-format bottles are treated much the same way as wine
bottles at tableside. Present the bottle to the guest who ordered
the craft beer. Proceed with the proper opening steps, whether a
bottle cap or cork-and-cage top.
Pour a taste of the beer for the guest who ordered the bottle.
Once approval has been given, begin pouring four-ounce
portions in steady, slow streams into each of the glasses at the
table. If there is beer remaining in the bottle, it may be left on the
table or returned to a chiller to stay cold. Return often to pour off
the remaining beer evenly among the guests.
Watch for beers that have been bottled-conditioned and may

have yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Be careful not to
disturb the yeast. When handling, keep the bottle more upright
than horizontal. Pour slowly to prevent mixing the yeast into the
beer. Exceptions to this vary based on beer style and customer.
Some people enjoy consuming the yeast which is high in vitamins
and minerals.
4. Magnum bottle 6. Growlers

Present the magnum to the guest who ordered the craft beer. These vessels vary from traditional glass and handmade ceramics to
When you are ready to open the magnum, hold the bottle at a the latest stainless steel technologies. Though not generally served
slight angle with the cap/cork facing away from any guests. Have tableside, growlers allow guests to take fresh craft beer home with
a bucket tableside to catch any overflow from the release of them. Filling a growler should be done with care to ensure the beer
pressure in the bottle. Slowly remove the cap/cork, maintaining remains fresh until the customer is ready to drink it.
one hand on top of the cap/cork at all times until fully opened.
• Growler shelf life is not nearly as long as that of a bottle,
Place one hand on the bottom of the bottle to support the weight can or keg.
and the other hand on the neck to control pour speed. Pour in a
slow, constant stream into the center of the glass to offer a small • Filling warm or hot growlers causes foaming. For best
taste to the guest who ordered the bottle. Once approved, pour results, make sure that your growler is cool or at least
the beer into each glass at the table. room temperature before filling.

• Clear glass growlers (which potentially allow sunlight
through) can cause skunking, which can negatively alter
the taste of your beer. For more information on beer
flavor, see Flavor Components In Beer (CraftBeer.com/
Components).
• Keep filled growlers cold and dark. Customers should not

leave a filled growler in a car on a hot or very cold day.
• It’s just a fact: Once opened, the beer is never as fresh and
carbonated as when the growler was first filled.
• When finished, be sure to rinse your growler well with

warm water so it’s clean for the next fill , but never fill a
growler that is warm as this causes foaming.
• Growlers are fragile, so don’t drop them!
• For more information, see Getting the Most Out of

Your Growler (CraftBeer.com/Getting-The-Most-Out-Of-
Your-Growler).
See CraftBeer.com Glassware Chart for a full overview of Beer Glassware Components
common U.S. glassware (CraftBeer.com/Glassware) While glassware suggestions are provided with the beer styles
above, it is important to understand the components of popular
Beer Glassware Features beer glasses. Theses components will help you choose the right
Belgian- Flute Vase Nonic Abbey/ Snifter Thistle beer glass based on the options available to you. As always,
Style Tulip Chalis
glassware should be served beer-clean, free of damage and at
Sensory X X X X X the appropriate temperature. Beer glasses can be served chilled
Enhancement
to room temperature, but never frozen.
Temperature X X X X X
Control Handle - Holding a beer glass by a handle or stem lessens the
Foam Support X X X opportunity for body heat to transfer to the beer.
Aesthetics X X X X X X
Shape - The shape of the beer glass aids in the restriction and
Historical/ X X X X X expansion of beer foam and beer’s volatile aromas. A convex
Nostalgia
(outward curved) shape may aid in trapping and concentrating
aromas, while a concave (inward curving) shape helps to
Glassware Chart Key concentrate foam.
Sensory Enhancement - The shape of the top of a glass may be
open or closed to expand or restrict exposure to volatile aroma Bowl - A wide lower portion of a glass that collects aromas when
compounds. coupled with a tapered top half. The bowl can be held to warm
beer to optimal temperature for sensory enhancement.
Temperature Control - The shape of a glass can encourage or
discourage exposure to body temperature. A stem or handle Bulb - Convex portion of the upper half of a beer glass that
keeps the hand away from the beer, while a large-bowled glass captures an exorbitant amount of foam typical of certain styles,
(like a snifter) encourages cupping of the glass in the hand to and aids in concentrating delicate aromas when lifted to the
warm the beer. nose. While a bowl often is paired with a tapered top, a bulb is
accompanied by a thinner, more tapered bottom.
Foam Support - A concave lower glass shape or convex upper
glass shape keeps beer foam collected and dense. Beer foam Rim - Responsible for the smooth transition of beer from glass to
adds sensory enhancement as well as aesthetics. palate. The rim of the beer glass should be smooth and free of
damage like chips. Often a rim may be slightly convex, allowing
Historical and Nostalgia - Having historical or symbolic for the beer to be placed more directly on the front of the tongue.
significance to a particular style.
Size - The size of a beer glass most often corresponds to the
alcoholic strength of a beer. Beers of higher alcoholic strength
should be served in smaller glasses. This helps the restaurant or
bar capitalize on their investment, and also helps staff and the
beer drinker enjoy responsibly.

Why not list the shaker pint glass you may ask? chance for foamy beer because CO2 breaks out of solution (leaves
There is a multitude of glassware that enhances beer flavor and beer) as beer temperature rises.
enjoyment. The shaker pint, although common today in the U.S,
was originally intended to mix spirit drinks. Storage of packaged beer:
Recommend Tasting Glass No matter the packaging type, all beer should be stored cold.
Most craft beer is perishable. Aging and the development of
If you have to choose an all-purpose glass for serving all beer oxidative qualities will occur faster at warmer temperatures. Think
styles, we suggest a 16-ounce footed Belgian-Style Tulip. of beer like bread or milk. If you keep it cold, it stays fresher longer.
Temperature Always pay attention to and track expiration dates. These dates
Temperature has the greatest effect on the flavor, aroma, texture, can reflect the bottling date, best-before date, and other time-
and carbonation of beer. The appropriate temperature for serving specific information tied to when the brewery expects a beer will
craft beer is dependent on the style, but will fall in the range of be past its prime. Never serve a beer that is out of date.
38°F to 55°F. Serving a beer below 38°F will hold the aromas back
and lessen flavor. Checklist for a properly served beer:
Easy guide to temperatures: ____ Beer at proper temperature
• Stronger beers should be served warmer than weaker beers. ____ Proper glass selected and rinsed (free of detergent,
lipstick, oils and water mineral spots)
• Darker beers should be served warmer than lighter beers.
____ Good pour with a proper one-inch collar of foam
• Lager beers, which are fermented at a colder temperature,
should be served cooler than ales. ____ Beer not past expiration date
As a general rule, most American craft beers should be served ____ Beer never stored in sunlight
between 38°F and 45°F. Cask-conditioned beers should be served
at 50°F to 55°F. Most draught systems should run at 38°F. The For more information on beer service and pouring temperatures,
higher the temperature a draught system runs, the the bigger the see Temperature Tips for Retailers: CraftBeer.com/Temperature

SECTION 2: INTRO TO STYLES
Instructor Prep before agitating. Breathe in with your mouth both closed
Have the following materials ready in advance of tasting. Each and open and take note of the subtle differences. If the
taster will need: aroma is intense or you keep sensing the same flavor
profile, give your sense of smell a break by tucking your
___Tasting Mat (CraftBeer.com/TastingMat)
nose into the sleeve of your shirt or something else neutral
___Pen or pencil
to reset your sniffer.
___Tasting Form (p. 40 or CraftBeer.com/
TastingForm) for each beer 4. Taste
___5 glasses (stemmed tulip is ideal) Sip the beer but do not swallow. Hold the beer on your
___1 water glass, filled palate, moving it around from side to side. Note the body
___Several white napkins or sheets of blank consistency, and remember to breathe out through your
white paper nose with the beer still on your palate. Pay attention to
how the beer starts on your palate, where it hits in the
In addition, the group will need:
middle, and, once you swallow or spit, what the lasting
___ Water pitchers filled with water and no ice effects of the beer are.
___ Seltzer water (to clean palate)
5. Rest and Reset
___ Unsalted crackers (to clean palate)
Do not sip water right away. Let the fading flavors of the
___ Paper or cloth towels
beer linger. Take note of the finish (the last flavor profile),
___ Bottle opener(s)
and your palate senses. How long does the finish last? Is
___ Empty trash can for trash/recycling
it clean, bitter, sweet, sour, weak, strong? Once you have
___ Flower vase or champagne bucket for dumping
rested your palate, reset your palate with a cracker or sip
(1 per every 4 tasters)
of water.
___ Cooler or fridge with beers inside
Here are five main points to evaluate for each craft beer:
Tastings will take place over two sessions during section two and
section three of the CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course, with five 1. Appearance
styles tasted at each tasting. For each style, we provide three classic Color, clarity, and the head (collar of foam) may provide
examples that are regionally or nationally distributed to ensure that some clues to the flavor profile of the beer. The shade of
you have the best chance to procure them. If you cannot find a the beer can indicate the roast malt character. Most beers
listed example, we encourage you to visit your largest better beer are filtered to give the beer a brilliant clarity. However,
provider to ask for similar world-class examples of those specific not all beers are perfectly clear. Cloudy appearances
beer styles. are the result of not fully filtering the beer and/or bottle-
conditioning, which may leave suspended proteins for a
A brief guide to tasting craft beer heavier, cloudier color. Carbonation also is part of each
There are six steps in evaluating the flavor profiles of craft beer beer’s appearance.
during a tasting. Consider using the CraftBeer.com Tasting Form
(CraftBeer.com/TastingForm). 2. Aroma
Can you smell floral or citrus aromas from the hops? Or do
1. Look you get more malty notes with aromas of biscuit, caramel,
Raise the beer in front of you with the white napkin or or chocolate?
paper behind it to evaluate the true color. Describe in
your notes the color, what the carbonation looks like, the 3. Taste
head, and the overall consistency of the craft beer. The first taste as the beer crosses the front of your tongue.
2. Smell, Part I 4. Palate/Body

Without agitating or swirling the craft beer, bring the The specific feel of the beer as it crosses the middle of
glass to your nose and breathe in with your mouth closed. your palate.
Then agitate the beer by gently swirling the glass to pull
out aromas and stimulate the carbonation. 5. Finish
Does the flavor profile fade quickly or linger? Where is the
3. Smell, Part II finish: On the front or back of your palate? Or is the finish
90 percent of what you taste, you first experience through in the aroma?
smell. Pay attention to the aroma now, compared to

Tasting #1 2. Belgian-Style Wit
1. German-Style Marzen/Oktoberfest
2. Belgian-Style Wit Style Description: Brewed using unmalted
3. Berliner-Style Weiss wheat, sometimes oats and malted barley.
4. American Pale Ale Witbiers are spiced with coriander and
5. American India Pale Ale (IPA) orange peel.
See detailed descriptions of each style on the following pages. Fun Facts: A style that dates back hundreds
Qualities not listed were left out because they are not stand-out of years, it fell into relative obscurity until it
attributes for the specific style. was revived by Belgian brewer Pierre Celis
in the 1960s. This style is currently enjoying
Glassware suggestions reflect what is commonly available in the a renaissance, especially in the U.S. market.
U.S. and are not necessarily the traditional glassware for each style. ‘Wit’ means ‘white.’
1. German-Style Marzen/Oktoberfest Quantitative Style Statistics:

• OG: 1.044–1.050
Style Description: A beer rich in malt with a • FG: 1.006–1.010
balance of clean, hop bitterness. Bread- or • ABV: 4.8–5.6%
biscuit-like malt aroma and flavor is common. • IBU: 10–17
• SRM: 2–4
Fun Facts: Originating in Germany, this style • Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5
used to be seasonally available in the spring • Apparent Attenuation: 80–86%
(Marzen meaning March), with some barrels
saved for tapping in October. Country of Origin: Belgium
Quantitative Style Statistics: Glass: Tulip

• OG: 1.050–1.060
• FG: 1.012–1.020 U.S. Commercial Examples: Allagash Brewing Co., Allagash
• ABV: 5.1–6% White; Avery Brewing Co., White Rascal; Boulevard Brewing Co.,
• IBU: 18–25 ZON; Port City Brewing Co., Optimal Wit
• SRM: 4–15
• Volumes of CO2: 2–2.5 Style A-Z:
• Apparent Attenuation: 70–76% • Alcohol: Non-existent to mild
• Brewing and Conditioning Process: Often bottle-
Country of Origin: Germany conditioned
• Carbonation (Visual): Fast
Glass: Flute • Clarity: Hazy
• Collar of Foam & Head Retention/Texture: Good/Moussy
U.S. Commercial Examples: Gordon Biersch, Märzen; Great Lakes • Color/SRM: Straw to pale
Brewing Co., Oktoberfest; Spoetzl Brewery, Shiner Oktoberfest; • Hops: German Noble
Victory Brewing Co., Festbier • Malt: Pilsener, Munich, Flaked Wheat
• Other Ingredients: Orange peel, coriander seed
Style A-Z: • Palate:
• Alcohol: Mild -- Body: Drying
• Brewing and Conditioning Process: A decotion process is -- Carbonation (Palate): High
commonly used. -- Length/Finish: Medium
• Carbonation (Visual): Medium • Water: Varies
• Clarity: Brilliant • Yeast: Ale
• Collar of Foam and Head Retention/Texture: Good/ • Phenols: Spicy, pepper
Foamy • Esters: Orange, citrus
• Color/SRM: Pale to reddish brown
• Hops: German Noble
• Malt: Pilsener, Vienna, Munich
• Palate:
-- Body: Soft
-- Carbonation (Palate): Medium
-- Length/Finish: Short to Medium
• Yeast: Lager

3. Berliner-Style Weiss 4. American Pale Ale
Style Description: Low in alcohol, Style Description: An American

refreshingly tart, and often served with a interpretation of a classic English style.
flavored syrup like Woodruff or raspberry, Characterized by fruity, floral and citrus-
this German wheat ale presents a harmony like American-variety hop character,
between yeast and lactic acid. Very pale in producing medium to medium-high hop
color, these beers may be cloudy as they are bitterness, flavor and aroma. Medium
often unfiltered. Hops are not prominent, body and low to medium maltiness may
but these beers often showcase esters. include low caramel malt character.
Fun Facts: Weiss beers are growing in Fun Facts: This is based on the English
popularity in the United States, where many Pale Ale style, but with more of a hop bite.
brewers are now adding traditional and exotic fruits to the recipe
that result in flavorful finishes with striking, colorful hues. These Quantitative Style Statistics:
beers are incredible when pairing. Bitterness, alcohol and residual • OG: 1.044–1.050
sugar are very low, allowing the beer’s acidity and white bread and • FG: 1.008–1.014
graham cracker malt flavors to find their way to food in rewarding • ABV: 4.4–5.4%
ways. Carbonation is very high, adding to the refreshment factor • IBU: 30–50
this style delivers. • SRM: 6–14
Quantitative Style Statistics: • Apparent Attenuation: 72–82%
• OG: 1.028–1.032
• FG: 1.004–1.006 Country of Origin: United States
• ABV: 2.8–3.4%
• IBU: 3–6 Glass: Nonic Pint
• SRM: 2–4
U.S. Commercial Examples: Deschutes Brewery, Mirror Pond Pale
Ale; Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Sierra Nevada Pale Ale; Stone
Brewing Co., Stone Pale Ale
Country of Origin: Germany
Style A-Z:
Glass: Goblet or Stemmed Tulip • Alcohol: Non-existent to mild
• Brewing and Conditioning Process: Dry hopping or late
U.S. Commercial Examples: Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Oarsman; The kettle hop additions
Bruery, Hottenroth Berliner Weiss; Nodding Head Brewery, • Carbonation (Visual): Medium to fast
Berliner Weisse • Clarity: Slight haze to clear
• Collar of Foam & Head Retention/Texture: Good/Foamy
Style A-Z: • Color/SRM: Deep golden to copper or light brown
• Alcohol: Non-existent to mild • Hops: Horizon, Cascade, Centennial
• Brewing and Conditioning Process: Hops often not boiled • Malt: American two-row, Caramel, Munich
and instead added to a decoction mash. Acidity may be • Palate:
introduced from a sour mash, lactic acid additions or -- Body: Soft
acidulated malt. -- Carbonation (Palate): Medium to High
• Carbonation (Visual): Slow to Medium -- Length/Finish: Short to Medium
• Clarity: Clear to hazy • Water: Water can vary in sulfite content but carbonate
• Collar of Foam & Head Retention/Texture: Poor/Foamy content should be relatively low.
to Rocky • Yeast: Ale
• Color/SRM: Very Pale to pale • Esters: Citrus, tropical fruit, pine
• Hops: German Noble
• Malt: Pilsner and Malted Wheat
• Palate:
-- Body: Drying
-- Carbonation (Palate): Low to Medium
-- Length/Finish: Short to Medium
• Yeast: Ale and Lager (sometimes Brettanomyces)
• Esters: Fruity ester flavors will be evident
• Microorganisms: Lactobacillus

5. American India Pale Ale (IPA)
Style Description: Characterized by

floral, fruity, citrus-like, piney or resinous
American-variety hop character, this beer is
all about hop flavor, aroma and bitterness.
Fun Facts: This has been the most-entered

category at the Great American Beer
Festival for more than a decade and is the
top-selling craft beer style in supermarkets
and liquor stores across the U.S.

• OG: 1.060–1.075
• FG: 1.012–1.018
• ABV: 6.3–7.6%
• IBU: 50–70
• SRM: 6–14
Country of Origin: United States
Glass: Tulip
U.S. Commercial Examples: Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Bell’s Two

Hearted Ale; Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Union Jack, Great
Divide Brewing Co., Titan IPA; Odell Brewing Co., IPA; Tap It
Brewing Co., IPA
Style A-Z:
• Alcohol: Mild to noticeable
• Brewing and Conditioning Process: Dry hopping
• Carbonation (Visual): Medium to Fast
• Clarity: Slight haze to clear
• Collar of Foam & Head Retention/Texture: Good/Foamy
• Color/SRM: Gold to copper or red/brown
• Hops: Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo
• Malt: American two-row
• Palate:
-- Body: Varies
-- Carbonation (Palate): Low to High
-- Length/Finish: Medium to Long
• Water: The use of water with high mineral content results
in a crisp, dry beer.
• Yeast: Ale
• Esters: Citrus, tropical fruit, pine

Beer Tasting Form
Beer Style / Brand / Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
Circle what is detected in each section below. Print this sheet in full color to view SRM (color) gradients.
Appearance
Color (SRM): Very Light (1-1.5) / Straw (2-3) / Pale (4) / Gold (5-6) / Light Amber (7) / Amber (8) / Medium Amber (9) / Copper/
Garnet (10-12) / Light Brown (13-15) / Brown/Reddish Brown/Chestnut Brown (16-17) / Dark Brown (18-24) / Very Dark (25-39) / Black (40+)
2 3 4 6 9 12 15 20 30 40+
Clarity: Brilliant / Clear / Slight Haze / Hazy / Opaque

Collar of Foam & Head Retention/Texture: None / Poor (Up To 15 Seconds) / Moderate (15 To 60 Seconds) /
Good (More Than 60 Seconds)
Texture: Thin / Interrupted / Foamy / Fluffy / Rocky / Mousse-Like
Carbonation (Visual): None / Slow / Medium / Fast-Rising Bubbles
Aroma
Alcohol: Not Detectible / Mild / Noticeable / Harsh
Hops: Citrus / Fruity / Floral / Green / Herbal / Onion-Garlic / Pine / Resinous / Spruce / Sweaty / Spicy / Tropical / Woody / Other _________
Malt: Bread Flour / Grainy / Biscuit / Bready / Toast / Caramel / Pruny / Roast / Chocolate / Coffee / Smoky / Acrid / Other _________
Esters: Apple / Apricot / Banana / Blackcurrant / Cherry / Fig / Grapefruit / Kiwi / Peach / Pear / Pineapple / Plum / Raisin /
Raspberry / Strawberry / Other __________ / None
Phenol: Clove / Cinnamon / Vanilla / Smoky / White Pepper / Other __________ / None
Other: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Flavor And Aftertaste

Alcohol: Not Detectible / Mild / Noticeable / Harsh
Hop Flavor: Citrus / Fruity / Floral / Green / Herbal / Onion-Garlic / Pine / Resinous / Spruce / Sweaty / Spicy / Tropical / Woody /
Other __________ / None
Hop Bitterness: Restrained / Moderate / Aggressive / Harsh
Malt Flavor: Bread Flour / Grainy / Biscuit / Bready / Toast / Caramel / Pruny / Roast / Chocolate / Coffee / Smoky / Acrid /
Other _________
Malt Sweetness: Low / Medium / High / Cloying
Other: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Palate
Astringency: Low / Medium / High
Body: Drying / Soft / Mouth-Coating / Sticky
Palate Carbonation: Low / Medium / High
Length/Finish: Short (Up To 15 Seconds) / Medium (15 To 60 Seconds) / Long (More Than 60 Seconds)
Oxidative/Aged Qualities
Almond / Blackcurrant / E-2-Nonenal (Papery/Cardboard) / Honey / Metallic / Sherry / Sweat Socks / Other __________ / None
Desirable / Undesirable
Balance and Drinkability

Desirable / Undesirable
Style
Appropriate / Out of Style
• Pairing Notes: __________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Other Comments: ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Download at CraftBeer.com/TastingForm

SECTION THREE

SECTION 3: IDENTIFYING BEYOND
BEER FLAVOR PROFILES
Many different flavors can be present when tasting beer, both intentional (in accordance with the style) or unintentional (due to flaws). This
section includes a tasting of five more classic beer styles, how common beer characteristics interact with food and detailed instructions
on how to choose a beer to pair with a specific dish or developing a dish to pair with a specific beer or beer style.
Beer flavors vary broadly based on the variety of ingredients used. specific flavors (intentional presence), or those flavors can
be red flags indicating an infection in the beer (unintentional
For the purposes of further sensory training, we have broken presence).
down common beer flavors that should be identifiable to
evolving and advanced palates. The flavors listed do sometimes Comprehensive Beer Flavor List
have a place in specific beer styles; however, it’s important to For a very comprehensive favor
understand whether a specific flavor is a flaw or was actually list, see Flavor Components Chart
intended by the brewer. (CraftBeer.com/Components)
For example, beer may intentionally or unintentionally contain For a quick cheat sheet on what to do if
microbiological organisms beyond yeast, including bacteria. you think something doesn’t taste right
Agents such as Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, Pediococcus in your beer, see What’s Wrong With My Beer? (CraftBeer.com/
and Acetobacter can be introduced by inoculation to add WhatsWrong)

Belgian-Style Dubbel
Tasting #2
American Stout Style Description: Ranges from brown to
Belgian-Style Dubbel very dark in color. Has a malty sweetness
Belgian-Style Saison and chocolate-like caramel aroma. Hop
American Brett bitterness is medium-low to medium.
Barrel-Aged Beer Yeast-generated fruity esters (especially
banana) can be apparent. Often bottle-
See detailed descriptions of each style on the following pages. conditioned, a slight yeast haze and flavor
may be evident.
Qualities not listed were left out because they are not stand-out
attributes for the specific style. Fun Facts: Dubbel meaning double, this
beer is still not so big in intensity to surpass
Glassware suggestions reflect what is commonly available in the the Belgian-Style Quadruple, of which it often is considered a less
U.S. and are not necessarily the traditional glassware for each bold sibling.
style.
American Stout • OG: 1.060–1.075
• FG: 1.012–1.016
Style Description: Coffee- and chocolate-
• ABV: 6.3–7.6%
forward ale, but with a hop aroma and
• IBU: 20–30
flavor, often from a citrus-forward variety.The
• SRM: 16–36
American stout is bold with a distinctive dry-
• Volumes of CO2: 3–4
roasted bitterness in the finish. Fruity esters
should be low, but head retention high.
Country of Origin: Belgium
Fun Facts: Oatmeal is a common ingredient
also added to American Stout, lending Glass: Tulip
additional body and head retention to
these beers. The common use of roasted U.S. Commercial Examples: Allagash Brewing Co., Allagash
barley also differentiates these beers from porters. Dubbel Ale; Anderson Valley Brewing Co., Brother David’s Double
Abbey-Style Ale; Flying Fish Brewing Co., Belgian Abbey Dubbel;
Quantitative Style Statistics: The Lost Abbey, Lost and Found Abbey Ale; New Belgium
• OG: 1.050–1.075 Brewing Co., Abbey
• FG: 1.010–1.022
• ABV: 5.7–8.9% Style A-Z:
• IBU: 35–60 • Alcohol: Mild to noticeable
• SRM: 40+ • Color/SRM: Brown to very dark
• Volumes of CO2: 2.5–3 • Clarity: Clear to slight haze
• Apparent Attenuation: 71–80% • Collar of Foam & Head Retention/Texture: Good/Mousse-like
Country of Origin: United States • Carbonation (Visual): Medium to fast
• Malt: CaraMunich, Special “B”, Pilsner Malt
Glass: Tulip • Other Ingredients: Belgian candi sugar, other sugars
• Palate:
U.S. Commercial Examples: Deschutes Brewery, Obsidian Stout;
-- Body: Moderate to thick
Rogue Ales, Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout; Sierra Nevada Brewing
-- Palate Body: Mouth-coating
Co., Stout
-- Carbonation (Palate): Carbonated
Style A-Z: -- Length/Finish: Medium
• Alcohol: Mild to noticeable • Yeast: Ale
• Brewing and Conditioning Process: When U.S. brewers • Phenols: Spicy, peppery, rose-like, perfumey
add ingredients such as coffee, chocolate, vanilla beans or • Esters: Fruity (banana)
cherries, or age it in oak, the beer would then be considered
a specialty style instead of a strict American Stout.
• Color/SRM: Black
• Clarity: Clear to opaque
• Collar of Foam & Head Retention/Texture: Good / Foamy
• Carbonation (Visual): Slow to medium
• Hops: Horizon, Centennial
• Malt: Pale, Black Roasted Barley, Chocolate Malt, Crystal
• Other Ingredients: Oatmeal occasionally used.
• Palate:
-- Body: Moderate to thick
-- Palate Body: Mouth-coating
-- Carbonation (Palate): Carbonated
-- Length/Finish: Medium to long
• Yeast: Ale
• Esters: Fruity esters, if present, are low.

Belgian-Style Saison American Brett
Style Description: Beers in this category Style Description: These unique beers
are pale to deep light brown in color. vary in color and can take on the hues of
Often bottle-conditioned with some yeast added fruits or other ingredients. Natural
character and high carbonation. Belgian- acidity develops balanced complexity.
style saisons may have Brettanomyces or Horsey, goaty, leathery, phenolic and
lactic character and fruity, horsey, goaty and/ some fruity acidic character derived from
or leather-like notes. Specialty ingredients Brettanomyces organisms may be evident,
including spices may contribute a unique but in balance with other components of
and signature character. the beer.
Fun Facts: Commonly called a farmhouse Fun Facts: Brett beer and sour beer are
ale and originating as summertime beers in Belgium, these are not not synonymous. Brett beer may contain acidic components as
just warm-weather treats. U.S. craft brewers brew them year-round the result of acetic acid (vinegar-like flavors), but the presence of
and have taken to adding a variety of additional ingredients. acidity in all Brettanomyces beers should not be assumed.
Quantitative Style Statistics: Quantitative Style Statistics:

• OG: 1.055–1.080 • OG: Varies
• FG: 1.004–1.016 • FG: Varies
• ABV: 4.4–8.4% • ABV: Varies
• IBU: 20–40 • IBU: Varies
• SRM: 4–14 • SRM: Varies
• Volumes of CO2: 3–3.5 • Volumes of CO2: Varies
• Apparent Attenuation: 80–93% • Apparent Attenuation: Varies
Glass: Goblet Country of Origin: United States
U.S. Commercial Examples: Brewery Ommegang, Hennepin; Glass: Tulip

The Lost Abbey, Red Barn Ale ; Funkwerks, Saison
U.S. Commercial Examples: Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Seizoen
Style A-Z: Bretta; Russian River Brewing Co., Sanctification; Wicked Weed
• Alcohol: Mild to noticeable Brewing, Serenity
• Brewing and Conditioning Process: Often bottle-
conditioned, sometimes dry-hopped; fermented at Style A-Z:
higher temperatures. • Alcohol: Varies
• Color/SRM: Pale to light brown • Brewing and Conditioning Process: Wood vessels may
• Clarity: Slight haze be used during the fermentation and aging process.
• Collar of Foam & Head Retention/Texture: Good/Rocky Blending is also common.
• Carbonation (Visual): Fast • Color/SRM: Varies
• Hops: Noble, Styrian, East Kent Goldings • Clarity: Varies
• Malt: Pilsener, Munich, wheat malt • Collar of Foam & Head Retention/Texture: Varies
• Other Ingredients: Sugar, honey, spelt. Specialty • Carbonation (Visual): Varies
ingredients (spices, herbs, flowers, fruits, vegetables, • Hops: Varies
fermentable sugars and carbohydrates, special yeasts of • Malt: Varies
all types, wood aging, etc.) may contribute a unique and • Palate:
signature character. -- Body: Varies
• Palate: -- Palate Body: Varies
-- Body: Moderate -- Carbonation (Palate): Varies
-- Palate Body: Soft to mouth-coating -- Length/Finish: Varies
-- Carbonation (Palate): Carbonated • Water: Varies
-- Length/Finish: Short to medium • Yeast: Ale or Lager
• Water: Sulfate-rich • Esters: Fruity esters may be present.
• Yeast: Ale • Microorganisms: Brettanomyces may produce acetic acid
• Phenols: Pepper as a byproduct. Horsey, goaty, leathery, phenolic and light
• Esters: Fruity (orange, lemon) to moderate and/or fruity.
• Microorganisms: Brettanomyces and/or Lactobacillus
possible

Barrel-Aged Beers
Style Description: A wood- or barrel-aged

beer is any lager, ale or hybrid beer, either
a traditional style or a unique experimental
beer, that has been aged for a period of
time in a wooden barrel or in contact with
wood. This beer is aged with the intention
of imparting the unique character of the
wood and/or what has previously been in
the barrel.
Fun Facts: Today’s craft brewers are using

wood (mostly oak) to influence flavor, aromatics and provide
microorganisms. Beer may be aged in wooden barrels (new or
previously used to age wine or spirits), or chips, spirals and cubes
may be added to the conditioning tanks that normally house
beer. A variety of types of wood are used including oak, apple,
alder, hickory and more. The interior of most barrels is charred or
toasted to further enhance the flavor of the barrels.

• OG: Varies
• FG: Varies
• ABV: Varies
• IBU: Varies
• SRM: Varies
Country of Origin: Undetermined
Glass: Snifter
U.S. Commercial Examples: Firestone Walker Brewing Co.,

Double Barrel Ale; New Holland Brewing Co., Dragon’s Milk;
Oakshire Brewing, Hellshire III; Perennial Artisan Ale, Barrel-Aged
Sump Coffee Stout
Style A-Z:
• Alcohol: Varies
• Brewing and Conditioning Process: Aging in wood barrels
necessary.
• Color/SRM: Varies
• Clarity: Varies
• Collar of Foam & Head Retention/Texture: Varies
• Carbonation (Visual): Varies
• Hops: Varies
• Malt: Varies
• Other Ingredients: Wood aging
• Palate:
-- Body: Varies
-- Palate Body: Varies
-- Carbonation (Palate): Varies
-- Length/Finish: Varies
• Water: Varies
• Yeast: Ale or Lager
• Phenols: Varies
• Esters: Varies
• Microorganisms: These beers may or may not have
Brettanomyces character.

SECTION 3: HOW TO PAIR CRAFT
BEER WITH FOOD
Craft beer and food pairings are arguably the most versatile pairings on menus today. Discover the three most common pairing
interactions—complement, contrast and cut—-and how to decide which one best suits the dish you’re preparing. See examples of food
pairings for common beer styles and find out why they work.
A pairing is a match between beverage and food, with the goal of

having the individual parts interact in a synergistic way to create PAIRING A DISH SHOULD TAKE ALL
an enhanced and elevated experience. Simply stated, craft beer
and food can transform each other. From the simplest pairing of INGREDIENTS AND THEIR PALATE
crisp herbal hops with the char of the grill, to the rich complexity
of a Belgian-Style Quadrupel with crème brûlée, craft beer can REACTIONS INTO ACCOUNT. DON’T JUST
create savory and memorable flavor combinations.
FOCUS THE PAIRING ON ONE INGREDIENT.
Craft beer and food pairings are arguably the most versatile and
challenging pairings on menus today. Where wine and spirits point for each pairing. Then take into account all ingredients and
cannot go, craft beer paves the way to harmonious interactions on techniques in the dish to complete the pairing. That said, first
the palate. impressions go a long way when forming a pairing. Often the first
ingredient that comes to mind ends up as a component of the
Craft beer has no equivalent of the “white wine with delicate final dish in some form.
flavors, red wine with bold flavors” rule. Pairing craft beer to food
simply comes down to tasting the beer and then deciding which Expand your tasting notes to include places, memories, and
characteristics in the craft beer should be best highlighted by the sensations as well. Take, for example, a crisp Kölsch that might
food. See CraftBeer.com Flavor Triangle (CraftBeer.com/Triangle). trigger thoughts of watermelon. While that pairing works well on
its own, delve deeper into your imagination. What memories are
Because of the vast variety of flavors that can be found in craft associated with eating watermelon outside on a hot summer day?
beer, it’s important to consider the entirety of the dish to be paired. What other flavors and ingredients can conjure the scene for your
Use the dominant flavor or ingredient in each dish as the starting guests? Create a dish that tells a story, and the pairing will be on

its way to making a memory. While the interplay of taste elements The chef or pairing guide that keeps the above in mind will have
and aroma combinations is what makes a pairing, the memory of more success when presenting their pairings.
a dish is what people will recall and seek to repeat.
One approach to pairing is to start by focusing on the main
ingredient of the dish (though it should be said here that if the
pairing is built solely around the main ingredient, it may ultimately
PAIRING STEPS: SPECIFIC DISH fall flat). Take into consideration the cooking method you will use.
Next, identify supporting ingredients that will complement both
VS. SPECIFIC BEER the main ingredient and the craft beer the dish will be paired with.
The addition of herbs, spices, fat, and sugar will create secondary
How to choose a beer to pair with a specific dish: pairings in the dish.
1. Determine the dominant flavors of a dish. Think of the paired craft beer as a supporting ingredient and
consider how it will interact with different characteristics of the
2. Compile list of ingredients for the dish. dish. Does the beer bring the sauce to the front of the palate?
Does the beer pair too strongly to one part of the dish, thus
3. Consider what cooking methods and techniques hiding the whole pairing? Is the beer a standalone component
could contribute to pairing. that cleanses the whole palate?
4. Select a beer style that will pair well with both the
How Common Beer Ingredients Can Impact Pairings
ingredients and cooking methods of the dish.
The flavors from malt can be accented by cooking methods
5. Test taste to gage interactions of food to beer. like grilling, roasting, smoking and baking when done at higher
temperatures. Consider these cooking methods if notice these
-- If it works, stick with the pairing. flavors in your beer: bread flour, grainy, biscuit, bready, toast,
caramel, pruny, roast, chocolate, coffee, smoky and acrid notes.
-- Could it be better if you tweaked the
ingredients or modified the preparation? Hop flavors can mimic the flavors of a variety of herbs and spices.
When tasting a hop-forward beer, look for citrus, tropical, fruity,
-- Not what you’re looking for, take notes and floral, herbal, onion-garlic, sweaty, spicy, woody, green, pine,
try a different beer. spruce and resin. These flavors may present opportunities to
create resonance in your dish with herbs and spices.
How to choose a dish to pair with a specific beer:
The flavor from yeast can complement a wide range of supporting
1. Taste beer in proper glassware at the desired ingredients and flavors including apple, apricot, banana,
serving temperature. blackcurrant, cherry, fig, grapefruit, kiwi, peach, pear, pineapple,
plum, raisin, raspberry, strawberry, other, clove, cinnamon, vanilla,
2. Take note of first reaction of the beer on the palate smoky, white and pepper.
write down any and all thoughts that come to mind.
3. Consider what ingredients would highlight the THINK OF THE PAIRED CRAFT
flavors of the beer.
4. Consider what ingredients the beer could highlight

BEER AS A SUPPORTING
on the palate.
INGREDIENT AND CONSIDER
5. Decide on a dominant flavor profile or main
ingredient for the dish. HOW IT WILL INTERACT WITH
6. Complete the dish by adding in the remaining
components for a complete dish.
DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS
OF THE DISH.
Because perception is personal, so is pairing. Each individual
perceives pairings differently. Each guest’s reaction to a pairing
will depend on: If you have found the craft beer you want to pair with a specific
dish but it seems to be just a flavor short of a complete pairing,
• What taste elements, aroma elements and sensations consider adding something to or taking something away from the
they individually notice; dish. Remember, the beer is already brewed and ready to go. You
can’t change the beer, but you can adjust your recipe to achieve
• The varying intensity of characteristics in both the food a great pairing.
and the craft beer;
Palate Interactions Between Craft Beer and Food
• The guest’s experience (past and present); and • Hop bitterness is balanced and settled on the palate by the
addition of fat.
• Their personal preferences.
• Roasted malt notes are matched on the palate by sweetness.

• Carbonation is intensified by increasing the umami of a dish. • Using the classic technique of hot and cold on the palate
at the same time.
• Alcohol is calmed on the palate by both sweetness and fat.
• Managing the sweetness of a dish to activate bitterness
• Notable malt flavor profiles match well with acidity. at the same time.
• Hop aromas are transferred to the palate when paired with
sweet aromas. • Using dark malt notes to challenge the palate with moist
heat cooking methods on proteins.
• Sweet malt notes calm spice on the palate.
The hop bitterness of a classic Pale Ale will contrast against the
• Hop bitterness enhances notes of spice. sweet and rich notes of fat in a classic cream sauce. The hops
may come across as almost too bitter, but are balanced by the
• Carbonation is an effective tool to cleanse lighter fats.
sweetness of the malt. The hops cut the richness of the sauce off
Pairing Practices the palate to allow the malt to come through.
The strongest approach to pairing is to look at the following three
Cut
interactions—complement, contrast and cut—and decide which
To cut the palate means to use the craft beer to cleanse away the
one best suits the dish to be paired.
flavors from the dish, thereby resetting the palate back to neutral.
The palate will react to the combination of food and craft beer by A sip of craft beer after each bite should leave the palate feeling
recognizing flavors that match each other (complement); flavors refreshed, awakened, and ready for the next bite. For instance,
that intensify one another (contrast); and flavors that cleanse the the hops of an IPA might cut the notes of smoke on a grilled
palate (cut). salmon, or the alcohol of an Imperial Stout might cut away the
richness of chocolate.
It could be argued that all three of these interactions happen to
some extent with each bite and sip; they become more or less Hops, sweetness, alcohol, souring techniques, and carbonation are the
noticeable depending on the dominant characteristics of the key components in craft beer to create a cutting effect on the palate.
food and the craft beer in the pairing.
• Hops: The bitter strength and astringency of hops can lift
Complement fat off the palate.
Successful pairings often work by finding harmonies between
• Sweetness: A sweet finish can cut away acidic flavors,
the craft beer and the dish. This can be done by identifying
leaving a pleasant sensation after each bite.
complementary flavor or aroma elements that tie the beer and
the dish together. • Alcohol: If the flavor profile of the dish pulls the alcohol
forward on the palate, the alcohol will work to cut the
For instance, roasting, grilling or developing the Maillard reaction
flavors off the palate.
in proteins will resonate with elements of malt in craft beers. The
malt used in craft beer is kilned to the desired roast color, and • Souring: Sour, tart and funky flavors that pucker the palate
the Maillard reaction is what produces that color. The chemical and pull into the jaw can cut away sugary and fruity notes.
reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars is the same
whether it be in baking brioche, roasting a duck breast or kilning • Carbonation: The scrubbing effect of carbonation’s
malt for beer. bubbles helps diffuse the richness of food.
Contrast Classic cutting example: Using the carbonation and citrus notes
Creating a contrasting pairing can often be the most challenging of a Saison to cut away the buttery rich notes of Dungeness crab
for the palate. In almost every pairing there will be subtle on the palate. The crab sets up rich and sweet on the palate, while
contrasting taste and aroma elements between the craft beer and the carbonation of the Saison lifts the craft beer off the palate and
food. An overall contrasting pairing is one in which the main flavor wipes away the notes of salt water with crisp, citrusy yeast notes.
profile of the dish contrasts against the main flavor profile of the
craft beer. Sweet versus sour and bitter versus sweet are common Intensity
dominant flavors in contrasting pairings. Contrast can either have A common rule of thumb for pairing craft beer with food is to
an enhancing or suppressing effect. “match strength with strength.” In other words, look to pair
delicate dishes with lighter craft beers and strongly flavored
A classic example of an enhancing contrasting effect is an dishes with more assertive craft beers.
American India Pale Ale with tropical hop notes paired with an
intensely hot pepper spiced dish or sauce. Intensity in craft beer can come in many forms:
A classic example, of a suppressing contrast effect, is oysters on the • Strength of ABV

half shell paired with a Dry Stout or Porter. The rich, roasty notes of
the beer clash pleasantly against the salty brininess of the oyster. • Malt Profile: Deep dark caramel notes, dark roast,
increased malt bill
Contrasting flavors can be created by using two elements in the
pairing to activate two sensations at the same time. • Hop Impact: Late addition hops can overtake a beer’s
presence on the palate

• Sweetness: Barrel aging, addition of sugars and/or fruit Lighter craft beer styles are often paired with more delicate dishes.
The key in pairing delicate craft beers and delicate dishes lies in
• Body: Carbonation level, addition of flavors such as finding harmonies in the subtle notes that can be pulled from the
chocolate and/or barrel aging pairing. Highlighting crisp, clean, palate-refreshing dishes with
similar craft beers can awaken and prepare the palate for more
• Acidity complex pairings to come.
In the culinary world, richness can be matched by increasing the The best pairings for lighter craft beer styles come from the sum
fat content of dishes and using cooking methods such as grilling, of the entire taste experience. For example: a crisp, clean Kölsch
sautéing, braising, or roasting. Seasoning can play a role in toning with a salmon tartare on cucumber, where the cucumber connects
down the richness of a craft beer, but often times the simpler the salmon to the Kölsch and the Kölsch acts as the pepper to the
pairing wins the palate. salmon on the palate.
On the more assertive end of the flavor spectrum, one of the best
EXAMPLES OF FLAVOR GROUPS pairings using the Maillard reaction is a roast duck breast paired
AND SUGGESTED PAIRINGS: with a Brown Ale or Dubbel. In the Brown Ale pairing, the roast
of the malt speaks directly to the Maillard reaction of the duck
Rosemary, juniper, pine, spruce breast, creating a rich and roasty flavor profile. With the Dubbel,
Pairing: American Pale Ale the increased sugars and darker roasted malt add a touch of
sweetness, bringing out the caramelization of the duck skin and
Brown sugar, butter, caramel, maple syrup, vanilla, making the pairing almost creamy on the palate.
coconut, toffee
Pairing: English-Style Barley Wine
Cinnamon, cumin, pepper, cardamom, ginger, clove The Maillard reaction is a non-enzymatic browning
Pairing: Robust Porter that occurs in hot, moist environments. This
reaction creates melanoidins, like the char on
Date, fig, raisin
Pairing: Belgian-Style Quadrupel a beef burger or roasted duck breast, and the
roasted flavors of kilned coffee beans and malt.
Pineapple, tangerine, clementine This is different from caramelization, which is a
Pairing: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
thermal decomposition of sugars. Both processes
Chocolate, truffle, cocoa powder add flavor and occur in both food and beer.
Pairing: English-Style Milk Stout

Flavor Triangle
CraftBeer.com Flavor Triangle
Potential elements one may perceive in a beer.
Potential elements one may

perceive in a beer.
Taste
Elements
Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter, Umami
Emerging: Fatty acids, Carbonation, Metallic, Calcium
Taste elements are like primary colors and prime numbers—

they are basic and cannot be broken down further.
They are detected by our tongue and soft palate.
Aroma
Sensations Intensity Elements
Kilned and roasted malt, Maillard,
Cold/Hot, Silky/Tannic/Astringent, Thin/Heavy, Fruit, Hop essential oils, Herbs and Spices, Ethanol,
Still//Sparkling, Dry/Cloying, Flabby/Puckering, Oxidative compounds, Minerals, Wood volatiles
Cool/Burn and Esters and Phenols. Note: Esters and Phenols
are fermentation byproducts.
Temperatures, textures and irritants are
detected by branches of the trigeminal nerve.
There are more than 10,000 volatile aroma compounds
that can be detected by your 300+ odor receptors
(orthonasal and retronasal).
Flavor Characteristics vs. Hedonics
There are two unique types of intensity that work together when you taste foods and beverages.
1. Flavor Characteristic Intensity: how intensely you detect a flavor characteristic.

2. Hedonic Intensity: how much you like a flavor characteristic at a given strength (acceptance of a flavor).
Flavor Characteristic Scale 9-Point Hedonic Scale
Extremely Extremely Dislike Neither Like Like

Weak Strong Extremely or Dislike Extremely
Each of the Flavor Triangle characteristics are possible to detect in every beer. When tasting a craft beer, it is important to parse out
what you do and don’t detect.
Perception and intensity are personal and unique to each individual, and are continually modified by experience and circumstance. As
you identify what you perceive, you can begin to piece together what interactions (interplay of triangle characteristics) are occurring.
Created via collaboration between Nicole Garneau, PhD and CraftBeer.com.
CraftBeer.com
DownloadatatCraftBeer.com/Triangle
Download (http://www.CraftBeer.com/Culinary) Presented by the Brewers Association
March 2015

CRAFT BEER & FOOD PAIRING GUIDE
FOOD COMPONENTS BEER FLAVORS INTERACTIONS EXAMPLE DISHES
GRAIN CLEAN & CRISP

Complementary grain
flavors balance hops
Creamy Risotto
while remaining light on
the palate.
Farro, Arborio, Wild Rice, Polenta American Amber Lager Bohemian-Style Pilsner
BEANS & LEGUMES MALTY & SWEET

Food adds richness to
the beer while balancing Grilled Halibut with
salt and acidity. Pole Beans
Lentils, Fava, Chickpea, Green Beans English-Style Brown Ale German-Style Hefeweizen
SHELLFISH FRUITY & SPICY

Beer brings out salinity
and natural sweetness Mussels with Garlic,
while cleansing Parsley And Butter
the palate.
Clams, Scallops, Lobster, Crab Belgian-Style Saison German-Style Hefeweizen
RICH MEATS & ROOT VEGETABLES SOUR, TART & FUNKY Combining these
flavors brings out umami
Grilled Ribeye and
and adds earthy notes
Root Vegetables
that rest on the center
Parsnips, Carrots, Beef Strip Loin, Lamb American Brett Belgian-Style Flanders
of the palate.
GAME BIRDS & GRAINS HOPPY & BITTER

Complements roastiness
(Maillard reaction) while Roasted Quail
fat coats to neutralize with Farrotto
hop bitterness.
Duck, Quail, Quinoa, Farro American Pale Ale American Brown Ale
FATS HOPPY & BITTER | DARK & ROASTY

Beer cuts through, Cashew Butter and
balances strong flavors Red Pepper Jelly
and allows for a On Toast
complex finish.
Butter, Olive Oil, Duck/Pork Fat, Dairy American Black Ale English-Style Brown Porter
VEGETABLES (GRILLED) DARK & ROASTY

Brings out umami and Green Chili-Stuffed
balances sweetness Portobello
and richness.
Carrots, Mild Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms Irish-Style Dry Stout German-Style Schwarzbier
CHEESE VARIES Beer complements the

natural flavors and
textures while cutting Brie and Fruit
Brie (Fruity & Spicy), Gouda (Malty & Sweet), though fat, cleansing
Aged Cheddar (Hoppy & Bitter), Blue (Dark & Roasty),
Mozzarella (Clean & Crisp) Belgian-Style Tripel English-Style Pale Ale (ESB)
the palate.
BRAISED MEATS & CHOCOLATE MALTY & SWEET | DARK & ROASTY
Highlights the Milk Chocolate
roasted character Bread Pudding
Beef Short-Rib, Pork Sholder, <50% Cacao
(Milliard reaction).
(Malty & Sweet), >55% Cacao (Dark & Roasty) German-Style Bock Baltic-Style Porter
PORK HOPPY & BITTER | FRUITY & SWEET

The intensity of the
pork fat stands up to Pork Chops
the strong beer and Apple Relish
characteristics.
Sausage, Tenderloin, Terrine Imperial India Pale Ale Belgian-Style Dubbel
CREAMY DESSERTS VARIES

Balances richness on the Butterscotch
palate so the dessert Mousse with
doesn’t finish cloyingly. Dark Chocolate
Cheesecake, Ice Cream, Creme Brûlée, Mousse Cake British-Style Barley Wine Belgian-Style Fruit Lambic
Download at CraftBeer.com/Pairing-Chart

SECTION FOUR

SECTION 4: CRAFT BEER & CHEESE
Pairing craft beer and cheese is a great and simple way to explore interactions between beer and food. In this section, we explore the
basics of pairing craft beer and cheese, and explain how to set up a successful cheese tasting menu.
Cheese is a challenging one-ingredient dish to match with most As with all artisan cheeses, proper storage, preparation and
beverages. The variety of pungent, strong, earthy and creamy presentation of each cheese is important. Storing cheeses
flavors in cheese often confuses the palate. Due to its flavor together and/or using the same knife to present them all will
profiles that often mirror artisan cheeses, craft beer can handle commingle the delicate flavors of each cheese and obscure the
just about any cheese. actual flavor profile of the cheese or the pairing.
Artisan cheeses exhibit their own unique flavors with notes of General Craft Beer and Cheese Interactions
pasture, mold, and the breakdown of fats and proteins through • Acidity, carbonation and bitterness cut through fat.
enzymes. Young cheeses may have sweeter notes, while more
mature cheeses develop notes of toasted nuts and caramel. • Malt complements creamy, nutty, earthy, caramel flavors;
contrasts with salt.
The success of the pairing largely depends on the contrasts and
complements that come from the interaction of the beer and the • Carbonation lifts residual fat off the palate.
cheese. Examples of these interactions include pairing fatty cheeses
with crisp, effervescent craft beers (contrast), or pairing nutty aged • Craft beer ingredients (especially carbonation and
cheeses with the roasted malt notes of a stout (complement). The alcohol) can alter the texture of both the rind and the
best way to start pairing craft beer with cheese is to evaluate those paste of cheese, and can provide complementary and/or
potential interactions and then work to match the intensity of the contrasting flavors for each.
artisan cheese with the intensity of a craft beer style.

Guidelines for getting started 5. Arrange pairing order from least intense to most intense
1. Cheese and craft beer both benefit from proper service flavors. Avoid commingling cheeses and use separate
temperatures. Let cheese warm from cold storage to a utensils for each.
temperature of around 55 to 65°F. Similarly, serve the craft
6. Utilize palate balancers with cheese. Toasted baguette,
beer at the proper temperature.
nuts, dried fruits, honey and pickled items all make great
2. Match intensities. Delicate craft beers often pair well with additions to craft beer and cheese.
young cheeses, while stronger flavored craft beers tend
to work better with strongly flavored, mature cheeses.
Umami is also increased as a cheese ages so keep this
in mind as you’ll want a more intense beer to match that
enhanced savoriness.
3. Look for commonalities (i.e. malt-forward craft beers pair

with nutty or sweet cheeses) and contrasting interactions (i.e.
hop-forward bitter beers cut through fatty richness).
4. Recognize ancillary sensations and interactions in the

pairing; hop-intense craft beers pair well with acidic or
salty cheeses.
Demonstration Video: Beer & Cheese Pairings

(CraftBeer.com/Cheese-Pairing)
Suggested Craft Beer and Cheese Interactions

CHEESE STYLE BEER STYLE DESCRIPTION
Fresh Cheeses Wheat and Lambic-style Italian-Style Mascarpone, Ricotta and soft Chèvre will match
beers the delicate notes of the beer and neither will overwhelm the
palate in the beginning of a meal.
Semi-Soft Cheeses German styles (Kolsch, Fontina, Havarti and milder Blue Cheeses can be enhanced by
Bock) and Pale Ale styles the carbonation of Kölsch style ales. The gentle notes of grass
in the cheese can be brought out by using the malt of a Bock
or the hops of a Pale Ale.
Firm/Hard Cheeses Pilsener, Bock, Brown Ale Cheddars, Swiss or Emmentaler-style cheeses can mimic the
and Imperial Stout Maillard reaction when paired with a beer style such as a
Brown Ale. Roasty stouts can add a creaminess to the firm and
hard cheeses on the palate.
Blue Cheeses IPA, Imperial IPA These strongly flavored cheeses can be successfully balanced
with bolder beer styles, including IPAs or Imperial IPAs.
Natural Rind Cheeses Golden or Blonde Ales, Lancashire, Stilton, Brie and Camembert all share a rich creamy
Pale Ales and Barley Wine base that can be refreshed with a Golden, Blond or Pale Ale or
styles intensified the sweetness on the palate with a Barley Wine.
Washed Rind Cheese Belgian-style Ales Classic Belgian yeast flavors spur a tighter carbonation as well
as bring out delicate sweet notes that can cut through the funk
of a washed rind cheeses.
Cheese Style Source: American Cheese Society
Download at (CraftBeer.com/Cheese)

SECTION 4: INTERACTIVE
TASTING & PAIRING
In this session of tasting and pairing, five common beer styles will be tasted alongside four common food ingredients. Comparative
tasting notes will allow you to quickly form generalizations about common interactions between beer and food and set you up for success
when putting together a pairing menu.
The tasting charts will start your palate down the path of learning The following five style types will be used in this tasting:
how to pair ingredients with craft beer styles. Each style is paired
with four distinct ingredients, each of which will provoke a unique • American Pale Ale
reaction on your palate. By starting with ingredients on their own, • American India Pale Ale
you will begin to develop a sense of how to build a paired plate • American Stout
and understand how an individual ingredient can affect the flavor • Belgian-Style Saison or Farmhouse
profile of the craft beer. • American Brown Ale
Taste each ingredient separately along with the paired beer Download Interactive Tasting Forms: (CraftBeer.com/Interactive)
style. Write down pairing notes, palate reactions and cooking
techniques for each one.
Interactive Tasting Form 1
Tomato Roast Chicken
American Pale Ale
Carrot Cake Grilled N.Y. Strip

Toasted Bread Roast Chicken
American India Pale Ale
Honey Grilled Pork Loin
Oyster on the Half Shell Dark Chocolate
American Stout
Blue Cheese Grilled N.Y. Strip

Cucumber Crab
Belgian-Style Saison
Brie Pear
Duck Breast Hazelnuts
American Brown Ale
Plum Roasted Mushrooms

SECTION 4: FRESH, AGED AND
CELLARED CRAFT BEER
Learn the basics of aging craft beer—which styles age best, which conditions are most suitable for aging and how to identify common
characteristics of stale or oxidized beer. This module also describes how to set up and successfully present a vertical tasting.
Craft beer is a perishable product. As such, it is constantly they are best consumed depending on the beer style, alcohol
evolving. From the moment a bottle leaves the brewery to the content and ingredients, as well as the producers’ suggestions.
moment it is served, the beer inside will keep changing.
How to tell if a beer is not fresh
Sometimes those changes are for the better, which results in a • One of the first things to dissipate in a beer that is past its
delicious and refined aged beer. But many craft beers are not prime is the hop aroma. If the beer exhibits less hop aroma
intended to go through an extended aging process, and so those than indicated by tasting notes provided or published on
changes can have negative results. Most notably, specific hop the Internet, it may be old.
aromatics and flavors will fade and oxidation will take over the
flavor of the beer. • Malt flavors may come across as waxy.
The more delicate and lower in ABV the craft beer, the faster those • Foam stability can decrease, and the head of the beer
effects dominate the flavor profile. In general, any craft beer less may collapse.
than eight percent ABV is not meant to be aged, with exceptions
being sour beer styles and Brettanamyces beers. • Unfiltered and unpasteurized beer that has active yeast
can over-carbonate and/or eventually show signs of
autolysis, which manifests as salami, old meat, burnt
rubber, sulfur, or rancid flavors.
• Check the date code on the beer or ask your distributor

or brewer.
Characteristics that can occur in staled beer include:

1. E-2-Nonenal
a. Paper/cardboard flavors.
b. Occurs from aldehydes that get oxidized from
primary alcohols. Oxygen may exist in the head
space of the package or may have been introduced
to the product before packaging.
2. 2,3-Pentanedione
a. Honey-like qualities of lighter beers that can occur
from oxidation of malt.
3. Melanoidins
Storage of packaged beer a. Oxidation of melanoidins creates sherry notes or soy
No matter the packaging type, all beer should be stored cold.
sauce flavors.
Growlers should be stored in the refrigerator at 38°F.
4. Diacetyl
Get to know the 3-30-300 rule for canned and bottled beer, as
a. Byproduct of yeast or lactic acid bacteria. Diacetyl
suggested by MillerCoors research. According to this rule, storing
leaks out of the yeast cell wall during fermentation, but
beer in the following conditions will result in equivalent flavor loss:
yeast scavenge it during later stages of fermentation.
1. 3 days in the trunk of a hot car (90°F) It is acceptable at lower levels in some beer styles.
b. Can be a sign of dirty beer lines. All beer lines should
2. 30 days at room temperature (71°F) be cleaned every two weeks with a three percent
caustic solution at recommended temperatures,
3. 300 days in the refrigerator (33°F) and every three months with an acid clean See
DraughtQuality.org for details.
Pay attention to “First in, first out” (FIFO), rotate in new products
accordingly, and always check the date code before accepting 5. Metallic flavors
delivery of fresh craft beer. If you need help reading the date a. Most noticeable in the collar of foam and can
code, ask your distributor or brewery. Craft beers vary on when dissipate as the tongue acclimates.

6. Breadlike characteristics a beer that is not your preference and a beer that is
a. Caused by oxidation during pasteurization. objectively “off” or of poor quality.
7. Oxidation of hydrocarbons (hop essential oils) 3. Steps for refusing and returning beer:
a. Can create some desirable flavors and aromas in beer.
a. Pull from draught/inventory immediately.
8. Color change
a. Caused by oxidation, like the flesh of a fresh-cut b. Keep back-stock refrigerated.
apple, which darkens over time. A similar darkening
c. Pull from the menu. Alert staff that product is not
effect happens to beer.
available.
CraftBeer.com Operator’s Guide to Receiving Craft Beer d. Call distributor or brewer.
1. Upon delivery and before the operator accepts the delivery:
How to age craft beer
a. Know your distributor’s policy on returning beer.
Many establishments are starting to age and cellar certain craft
b. Inventory: Confirm that what was ordered is beers. Cellaring is an art that takes diligence and skill. There are
reflected on the invoice and is what was delivered. many variables to consider, from selecting the right styles for aging to
maintaining optimal environmental conditions. When done properly,
c. Inspect: Visually inspect the condition of the this process can allow new and unique flavor profiles to develop.
delivery.
Why age beer?
i. Date coding is legible and within range. The investment of time, space and energy into cellaring beers can
be valuable to an establishment. While a correctly aged beer can
ii. Crowns, cans and keg valves are free of rust or command a premium price, a meticulously curated cellar can pay
debris. even more dividends by allowing your establishment to become a
destination that offers a unique experience.
iii. Accept only what was ordered and only what is
in proper condition. Benefits of aging beer:
iv. Refuse any improper orders, products or • Soften or decrease harsh flavor notes
hardware (kegs) with issues
• Allow flavors to blend, resulting in increased complexity
d. Enter new product into rotation or storage inventory.
• Reveal flavors that remain constant as others fade
i. Add bottles and cans into rotation or
appropriate storage. • Create a unique beer experience
ii. Add kegs to rotation or appropriate storage. Selecting the right beers to age
When craft beer ages it loses hop aromas, becomes less sweet
1. Ensure draught system is clean (See and may take on vinous notes. Rich leather, tobacco, nutty flavors,
DraughtQuality.org) and has room to store and sherry- or port-like oxidation are common and often pleasing
beer cold. flavor profiles in aged craft beer.
iii. Store your beer properly. However, only a select few beer styles are suitable for aging.
Patrick Dawson, author of Vintage Beer, highlights three groups
1. Store your beer cold unless otherwise of beer that are particularly conducive to extended aging. He
advised by the brewer. refers to them as “the three S’s”:
2. Taste for quality. If a product is deemed inadequate, an • Strong: In general, only beers of at least 8 percent ABV
operator’s immediate action should be to call the distribu- should be considered for aging. A few sour and bar-
tor that delivered it. Work with the distributor to remedy the rel-aged craft beers that are below 8 percent will break
issue. Educated staff should be able to tell if a beer does not this rule and age quite well.
taste as intended by the brewer and decide if the beer in
question should be sent back. • Sour: Beers made with acid-producing microorganisms,
or otherwise soured, tend to age well.
• Should the distributor be ineffective in helping
remedy the situation, the operator’s next call is to • Smoked: Beers made with smoked malts are packed with
the brewery. Alert the brewery and let them know flavors that often change in interesting ways over time.
you have already requested assistance from the
distributor and what you’ve asked to be done. Before aging a specific craft beer, first check with the brewery for
its thoughts on length of aging. Proper and deliberate cellaring
• Working in partnership with the distributor and should result in desirable changes to the beer’s flavor; but a
brewery to find a solution will likely be your most beer that isn’t stored properly or simply goes past its prime will
viable course of action. Know the difference between degrade in flavor and become stale.

After the first six months and then at one-year intervals, taste any -- Lights inside keg boxes can also cause skunking.
cellared beer and document your tasting notes. Once the flavor Consider turning them off or getting a fluorescent
profile has developed to your liking, put it on the list and start lightbulb filter.
pairing it with your menu.
Craft beer should generally be stored upright to allow the yeast to
settle to the bottom. Even corked bottles of beer are commonly
BEER STYLE FAVORABLE AGING
stored upright.
ATTRIBUTE(S)
British-style Barley Wine Higher ABV When aging a keg, it can be instructive to simultaneously age
several bottles of the same beer for tasting at various points
Smoked Beer Smoked in the aging process. Kegs age differently than bottles and
American Style Sour Sour can develop slightly different flavor profiles compared to their
smaller friends.
American Brett Potentially Higher ABV, Sour
and/or Smoked Age at your own risk
American Imperial Stout Higher ABV While a select few beer styles possess characteristics conducive
Barrel-aged Beers Potentially Higher ABV, Sour to aging, the vast majority of beer is meant to be enjoyed as
and/or Smoked fresh as possible. Any establishment that chooses to offer
vintage beers takes on full responsibility for beer that is cellared
Download at (CraftBeer.com/Aging) and served past its normal age range. Do not blame the brewer
if a beer is not pleasing when served past its date code or
Environmental Considerations recommended shelf life.
While numerous factors go into a properly aged beer, the
following are most notable.
Creating a vertical tasting
• Temperature: A cool and constant temperature of 50 Once you have begun cellaring and aging your craft beer, a great
to 55°F is usually recommended for most styles. Cooler marketing and tasting tool is a vertical tasting. If the craft beer you
temperatures inhibit the effects of oxygen on beer. are aging is made regularly or yearly, tasting multiple vintages at
once is a way for guests to explore the flavor profiles of the craft
• Light: Keeping beer in a dark place is strongly beer as it changes over time.
recommended. Hop alpha acids, which provide bitterness,
will react and break down when exposed to ultraviolet A vertical tasting does not need to be in chronological order. If
(UV) light and create “skunky” or “light-struck” flavors. multiple vintages of a single beer are available, taste each one
and consider which years are most suitable to pair next to each
-- Flavors of sewer drain, skunk or fresh coffee notes other before you set the final order. You may find that one or
may occur in a matter of seconds. two need to age longer or should have been served earlier. A
vertical tasting requires a minimum of two vintages and should
-- Store craft beer away from sunlight and fluorescent not exceed six vintages in one sitting. Plan to serve two to three
lights. Keep bottles in case boxes or a dark room. ounces per person when tasting.

SECTION 4: DESIGNING
A BEER DINNER
All of the concepts outlined in this course converge when planning a beer dinner. This section describes the four main types of beer dinners,
provides tools for menu planning, and offers tips to help you set your guests up for the most successful pairing experience possible.
Multi-course paired beer dinners are taking their rightful place style, region, or country of origin, such as Pacific Northwest,
in the culinary world. As you drive the guests’ palates through East Coast, West Coast, Belgian, German and more.
multiple courses, you have an opportunity to try a few pairings that
break the mold. By starting off with clean, recognizable pairings 4. Collaboration dinners: These beer dinners feature two
you can work up to more complex and challenging combinations. or more brewers each contributing beers for pairing.
The beer dinner is all about the journey, so make sure the pairing The beers can be similar in style and feature different
experience takes the palate in more than one direction. flavor profiles, or they can contrast and challenge the
palate along the way. Collaboration dinners can feature
Beer and food events take many forms. Here are four main types multiple beers poured in smaller quantities, often with
of craft beer dinners: two beers paired to the same course. These dinners
may also feature unique collaboration beers created by
1. Tasting menu: A three- to five-course dinner with a specific multiple brewers.
craft beer paired to each dish. When creating the menu,
either the dish is decided first and a craft beer is paired Palate quenching vs palate fatigue
to it, or a craft beer is chosen first and the chef creates a When your guests first show up, it is common to whet their appetites
dish for that beer. This is the most common tasting menu with a four- to six-ounce serving of a “welcome beer.” This beer
format for establishments featuring daily tasting menus. helps set the tone for the dinner and creates a buffer of time before
serving the first course and paired beer. From there, three to four
2. Featured brewery: A multi-course beer dinner with ounces per sample is commonly served with each course.
brewers present to talk to diners about each craft beer.
Typical dinners will have three to seven courses, each Beer dinners should not be evenings of gluttony. Think carefully
paired with a craft beer from the featured brewery. These about the serving portions of your food and the serving size of
types of dinners are also common at brewpubs and each beer. You want your guests leaving inspired and refreshed,
breweries that run their own restaurants. not tired and overwhelmed.
3. Regional craft beer dinners: A multi-course beer dinner Often dinners extend past the 10 beer mark, but by then the palate
focusing on a specific region of the world. While the craft has usually hit its limit. Guests suffering from “palate fatigue” may
beers will be from that specific region, the menu may still be not be able to fully appreciate the rest of your menu. Beer dinners
true to the style of the chef. A typical menu will include three should be evenings of indulgence, but not over-indulgence—and
to five craft beers. Common themes group beers by hop certainly never gluttony!

Menu planning Table Setting Tips
For menus that are built around the craft beers you plan to serve, The number of utensils on the table depends on the number of
you’ll need to begin by organizing a test tasting. If you cannot get courses to be served, and the order in which they are placed is
the beer in advance and do a test tasting it can lessen your chance determined by the order in which the food is served. Never pre-
for constructing a successful pairing menu. set more than three courses of glassware and/or flatware. The
only exception can be with the dessert flatware. When dessert is a
One approach for a test tasting is to gather up to three palates to predetermined course in the menu, the flatware can be placed at
taste the selected craft beers. Prepare a list of culinary ingredients the top of the place setting. If more utensils are needed than can be
available and in season, and gather tasting notes for your chosen pre-set they should be brought during service just before that course
beers—these may be found via the Internet (do a brand search is served. The same applies if more glassware is needed.
for each beer), via the distributor, or via the brewery website
itself. Use the CraftBeer.com Brewery Locator (CraftBeer.com/ The dinner fork is always placed to the left of the napkin, the knife
Brewery-Finder) to find the websites of all breweries in the U.S. It and spoon to the right. The distance between the dinner fork and the
is helpful to document the beer’s ABV, style, IBU and any special knife should be wide enough to fit a dinner plate between them. The
ingredients. glassware is placed about one half-inch above the tip of the knife.
Each additional glass is set to the left of the first glass and moves at
Upon receiving samples of your beers, remember to store them a slight angle up the table.
cold in the refrigerator. This will keep them freshest the longest.
Taste the beers at the temperature at which they will be served
during the dinner. TAILOR THE INGREDIENTS AND
Tasting order should be based on the intensity of the beers.
Start with the beer with the lowest ABV and work your way up
PREPARATIONS OF YOUR DISHES
to the highest. This may not be the final order for the menu,
but since this tasting does not include food it is important not
TO COAX OUT THE DIFFERENT
to overwhelm the palate with aggressive flavors before tasting
delicate ones. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BEER.
As you taste the selected beers, write down first thoughts that come
to mind. Final dishes may not be obvious right away, but key words Common four-course tasting menu
and phrases that relate to ingredients and sensations will ultimately
drive the final menu. A Menu Development and Tasting Form can Welcome beer (4-6 ounces)
be found on page 66.
First course: A light appetizer, chilled seafood, charcuterie,
Once all of the beers have been tasted, use your tasting notes or composed salad paired with a clean, one-note craft beer.
to arrange them in the order they might be served for the final
menu. This is when the menu starts to be driven by the paired Second course: A small course of pasta, shellfish, seafood
dishes. You can tailor the ingredients and preparations of your or light meat, paired with a slightly more complex craft
dishes to coax out the different characteristics of the beers you beer. Malt, notes of roast, and hops can become stronger
plan to pair with. but the finish should remain clean.
One successful approach is to compile the menu in order of Main course: Craft beer is paired to the main ingredient in
the intensity of the pairings and the strength of flavors that will the dish, with additional flavors in the dish supporting the
combine on the palate. Most dinners will follow the classic flow pairing and adding complexity.
of a tasting menu, beginning with smaller dishes, leading into the
main course and ending with a dessert. Fourth course: A pastry course, often paired with darker
and/or sour craft beers. However, if a “home run” pairing is
Traditional set for identified in the tasting, a lighter beer can finish the menu
four-course paired menu. and refresh the palate.
Additional courses can be added, and often a cheese course or

intermezzo pairing can bring the menu up to six or seven courses.
Remember to pay careful attention to the overall wear and tear of
the palate. Do not add courses gratuitously. A general guideline
is to not exceed six to eight craft beers.
Presenting the beer dinner

Be ready to describe the different interactions you perceive with
each pairing so others can relate your description to their own
experience. Prior to serving, talk with your staff and guests about
the final theme of the menu and how it was developed. If you
are presenting a challenging pairing, talk the guests through it
so they understand where the concept came from and what to
look for as they taste the pairing. Be open to feedback! Every
palate will taste something different and many guests may find
new interactions in each course.

Cooking with craft beer Sample Menu of Six Course Beer Dinner
There are differing opinions about cooking with craft beer. While Featuring A Single Brewery
paired beers can be considered ingredients in a beer dinner, it is If this menu is difficult to read consider downloading the high
important to think about the overall intensity of the menu before resolution version of the CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course at
deciding to cook with beer as well. Many chefs will use craft beer CraftBeer.com/Culinary
in every course and may even cook with multiple beers in some
courses.
Ask yourself, “Does the addition of craft beer to this recipe make
the pairing better?” If cooking with beer will elevate the pairing,
the answer is yes. If adding beer to the recipe clouds the palate or
adds confusing notes to the pairing, it is best to let the dish stand
on its own next to the paired beer.
For bitter-forward beers, avoid heating beyond pasteurization

temperatures so as not to further concentrate the bitterness of
the liquid. Consider adding beer at the end of the recipe, when
there is less heat to influence the flavor. This also allows the
volatile component of the craft beer to remain.
Tell your guests: When cooking with fermented beverages, some

alcohol can remain in the final dish. So when you cook with beer,
be sure to disclose that you’ve used the glorious beverage as
an ingredient. Research shows anywhere from a small amount (5
percent) to a large amount (more than 50 percent) of the original
alcohol can remain in the dish, depending on cooking method,
temperature, time, amount added and other factors.
Glassware
No tasting menu is complete without the proper glassware. Refer
back to your tasting notes; the flavor profiles you noted as key to
the pairing will determine glassware selection. The most common
glass for a beer pairing dinner is a Belgian-Style tulip or curved
snifter glass. However, for specific CraftBeer.com recommended
glassware, download Beer Glassware Chart: (CraftBeer.com/
Glassware).
Tasting Menu of a Four Course Paired Meal
to begin
peached shrimp
confit pheasant
malheur brut, br, malheur, buggenhout, belgium
first
raviolo of winter squash, lacinato kale, farm egg, pumpkin brodo
tank 7, boulevard, kansas city, mo
second
duck breast, rooftop honey glaze, duck fat & arborio rice timbalo, winter chard
gift of the magi, lost abbey, san marcos, ca
to rest
black truffle sformato
2008 smoked porter, alaskan, juneau, ak
third
espresso cremem brulee, vanilla tuile, smoked butter caramel
yeti, great divide brewing company, denver, co

Sample Menu of a Collaboration Beer Dinner
This is an example of a collaborative dinner between Sierra Nevada
Brewing Co. and Boulevard Brewing Co. The dinner celebrated a
collaboration beer brewed by both breweries (served with the first
course) and two additional beers from each brewery.
duck confit, rye bread salad, apricot marmalade

terra incognita, boulevard & sierra nevada collaboration
halibut crudo, english pea puree, marinated fava beans, grapefruit

tank 7, boulevard brewing company, kansas city, mo
tagliallini pasta, charred octopus, brocolli di ciccio, 18 month aged ham

ovila saision with mandarin & peppercorn, sierra nevada, chico, ca
fried sweetbreads, cauliflower, bing cherries, red verjus

love child #3, boulevard brewing company, kansas city, mo
buttermilk sorbet, coconut & ricotta macaroons, macadamia nut brittle

hoptimum, sierra nevada brewing company, chico, ca

Menu Development and Tasting Form
Brewery: Beer:
List tasting notes related to the profile of ingredients in the beer (hops, malt, alcohol, carbonation, etc.).
List culinary flavor profiles (focus on ingredients or flavors that will best highlight components in the beer).
List additional comments (thoughts, memories, anything the flavor profile of the beer brings up).
Download at (CraftBeer.com/Menu)

EXAMS

CRAFTBEER.COM BEER & FOOD
COURSE EXAM REQUEST
To apply for access to the CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course Exam, you must meet certain criteria:
• You are an accredited educator from a recognized culinary institution, beverage and hospitality program or brewing school
within an existing college or institution.
OR
• You are a beer educator teaching the full course and are a current Brewers Association member (brewery, wholesaler, retailer,
allied trade, individual or AHA member).
• To receive the exam, we also request you provide your scheduled date for both instructing the course and conducting the
exam.
This information will remain confidential, and will only be used for communication with you and for tracking course participation.
To request the CraftBeer.com Beer and Food Course Exam, visit bit.ly/BF_Exam.

CONTRIBUTORS
Co-Authors: Adam Dulye, Julia Herz
Contributors: Andy Sparhawk, Meghan Storey
Editor: Ted Burnham
Graphic Design: Kerry Fannon
Photography: Luke Trautwein
Research: Grant Puza
Website: Luke Trautwein, Cindy Jones, Nate Zander
About CraftBeer.com
CraftBeer.com, published by the Brewers Association, was created to communicate the passion, authenticity, excitement, creativity,
camaraderie and joy of the craft brewing community. When visiting CraftBeer.com, you can expect to learn about all aspects of the
amazing beer being produced by America’s small and independent breweries. You’ll learn how to further enjoy the beverage in your
glass, and about the individuals and processes behind your beer. Plain and simple: CraftBeer.com celebrates the best of American beer.
About the Brewers Association (BA)

The Brewers Association is the national not-for-profit trade group representing the majority of U.S. breweries. The BA organizes events
including the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America®, SAVOR: An American
Craft Beer & Food Experience and American Craft Beer Week®. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about homebrewing via the BA’s
American Homebrewers Association®.

RESOURCES & ENDNOTES
CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Course Resources Brewers Association Resources
Flavor Components in Beer: CraftBeer.com/Components Find a U.S. Brewery: CraftBeer.com/Brewery-Finder
Temperature Tips for Retailers: CraftBeer.com/Temperature The most extensive brewery database on the Internet.
CraftBeer.com Recipe Database: CraftBeer.com/Recipes

Brewers Association Draught Beer Quality Manual:
DraughtQuality.org The most extensive cooking with craft beer recipe database on
the Internet
Beer Glassware Features: CraftBeer.com/Glassware
Beer Schools: CraftBeer.com/Beer-Schools
Beer Tasting Mat: CraftBeer.com/TastingMat
Database of online classes and schools for beer and brewing
Beer Tasting Form: CraftBeer.com/TastingForm education.
What’s Wrong with My Beer? CraftBeer.com/WhatsWrong U.S. Beer Statistics and Data: BrewersAssociation.org/statistics/
National
Craft Beer Flavor Triangle: CraftBeer.com/Triangle
Books on Beer and Brewing: BrewersAssociation.org/Store
Craft Beer & Cheese Interactions: CraftBeer.com/Cheese
Endnotes
Interactive Tasting Forms: CraftBeer.com/Interactive
Palmer, John. 2006. How to Brew: Everything You Need to Know
Operators Guide to Receiving Craft Beer: to Brew Beer Right the First Time, 3rd ed., Boulder, CO:
CraftBeer.com/Receiving Brewers Publications.
Barrel Aging Considerations for Retailers: CraftBeer.com/Aging Mosher, Randy. 2004. Radical Brewing: Recipes, Tales, and
World-Altering Meditations in a Glass. Boulder, CO: Brewers
Menu Development and Tasting Form: CraftBeer.com/Menu Publications.
Photos © Luke Trautwein, ThinkStock.com, Getty Images and Brewers Association
CraftBeer.com Beer & Food Pairing Chart: All content and test materials © Brewers Association
CraftBeer.com/Pairing-Chart

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February 2016

CRAFTBEER.COM BEER & FOOD COURSE 1

CRAFTBEER.COM BEER & FOOD COURSE 3

Beer most likely first came about by accident. 1750

Gruel was a staple of basic nutrition in civilizations throughout 1873

• January 16, 1919: The 18th Amendment is ratified and

1979 and beyond

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Fast forward to today: Now the U.S. is the number-one beer

CRAFTBEER.COM BEER & FOOD COURSE 5

A U.S. craft brewer is:

• Small - Producing less than six million barrels of beer a year.

• Independently owned - Less than 25 percent of the craft

• Traditional - A majority of its total beverage alcohol volume

As the brewing landscape continues to evolve, so do Americans’

One sign of the changing times came in 2002 when American-

Credit Where It’s Brewed

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Rank Brewing Company City State

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Fermentation most commonly occurs in steel tanks or wood

Primary fermentation is when the yeast is the most vigorous and

Secondary fermentation is when the initial yeast cake (dormant

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Craft brewers use a wide variety of ingredients to achieve the

• Hops deliver both resins and essential oils that influence

• Brewers today use well over 100 different varieties of hops

• Though there are many varieties of hop plants, the hops

• Hop resins lend bitterness via alpha acids to balance the

• Alpha acid content of most hops ranges from 2 to 20

CRAFTBEER.COM BEER & FOOD COURSE 11

• Other Ingredients: Fruit, herbs, roasted (unmalted) barley

Common pH levels of some liquids:

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Alkalinity • Lager: Saccharomyces pastorianus. Often lends sulfuric

The presence of calcium sulfate (gypsum) enhances bitterness,

CATIONS (positively charged) ANIONS (negatively charged)

• Lowers mash pH to reduce hardness

CRAFTBEER.COM BEER & FOOD COURSE 13

Byproducts of Fermentation -- Syringol

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• Sensed in aroma, flavor and palate Malt

Carbonation (Visual) Oxidative/Aged Qualities

Clarity (different from color and brightness) Palate

Collar of Foam (head retention and texture)

• Retention ranges: None, poor (less than 15 seconds), • Body

• Texture ranges: Thin, interrupted, foamy, rocky, mousse-like • Carbonation

Geography/History Yeast, Microorganisms and Byproducts of Fermentation

Glass • Fermentation Microoganisms: Acetobacter

• Type of glass most common for style • Esters, Phenols

CRAFTBEER.COM BEER & FOOD COURSE 15

• To calculate the approximate volumetric alcohol content,

• Formula: ABV = (OG – FG) / 0.0075

• Example: OG 1.050, FG 1.012

Craft Beer By the Numbers 2 3 4 6 9 12 15 20 30 40+

Beer styles are defined via a combination of qualitative descriptions

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